The Reign of Terror 7: Dead by Dawn
by Hitman47
Summary: Dawn Crenshaw has become a depressed alcoholic who struggles with life in the wasteland. She meets Barney Calhoun who is the chief of the City Enforcement and he recruits her to battle crime in City 17. Dawn also meets Maddie, a psychotic young woman who has a daunting past with her. Soon, Dawn develops an attraction towards her, but does Maddie feel the same way?
1. A Fallen Hero

**ACT 1: WASTED IN THE WASTELAND**

 **Chapter 1: A Fallen Hero**

"Do you believe a word?

What the Good Book said?

Or is it just a holy fairy tale

And God is Dead?"

-Black Sabbath, _God is Dead_

Dawn Crenshaw was leaning against the torn and frayed wall of her apartment. She drank the last bottle of liquor and threw the bottle to the ground. Dawn now had short blonde hair. She had a small frame but fit body and was physically strong when she needed to be. Her eyes looked worn and tired despite being in her early twenties. She attempted to walk towards the refrigerator. A few steps later, she stumbled to the floor and stared up at the ceiling. Everything she saw was a swirling blur. She finally made it to the refrigerator and opened it. There is nothing but empty beer cans and liquor bottles inside. She slammed the door and stumbled towards her couch. Dawn managed to catch a glimpse outside at the sunset. She went over to the window to get a better view outside. She looked down and saw people wandering about. Her job, along with others in the town of City 17, was to protect each one of them. But here she was, an alcoholic. It has been this way for the past two years now. She grabbed her .357 magnum and headed out.

The Combine, who had once taken over the earth, was no longer in existence thanks to the rebellion of the citizens of City 17. They were in the process of rebuilding America. It was once known as a country for opportunity and freedom. Many of the citizens had forgotten what that was like. Dawn on the other hand had forgotten what it was like to have friends, be sober, and live life without having to look behind you to see what type of terror was lurking. She didn't care anymore, all she wanted was a drink, and she'll do anything to get one.

During the past 5 years, her friendships fell apart with Alyx Vance and Kurt McCall. Dawn began feeling frustrated with the way life had to be lived after the Combine invasion and even after they had been defeated. She turned to alcohol because it was the only way to make her feel good again. After her uncontrollable drinking and anger issues, Kurt left City 17 and ventured far into the wasteland. Alyx went back to Eli's lab and hasn't been in contact with Dawn since.

Dawn did not care anymore about living or dying. City 17 still did not look like the citizens had reclaimed it. Many buildings were still destroyed. Some of the buildings had been remodeled as the citizens began opening stores as one of the ways to rebuild the world. There were also citizens attempting to rebuild cars and trucks and there were new roads being paved. Dawn did not care if the world was rebuilt or if an invasion was occurring, all she wanted was a drink, and she knew were to get one. Dawn walked towards what she believed was a restaurant. As she got closer, she recognized the logo on the front. It was half of a star. The other half was long gone and the other was still hanging on the building, cracked and damaged. The doors were like an old Wild West saloon. She walked through and went straight to the bar. The bartender, Donald, noticed her.

"You know what I want," Dawn said.

Donald opened a bottle of beer and placed it in front of her. Dawn began drink.

"Why do you come in here wasted all the time?"

"It makes me-I don't know."

Donald walked away. Dawn looked around and saw there were two more citizens even more wasted than her. Then, three men entered the restaurant. Dawn rose up from the table as she heard their footsteps on the old wooden floor. She turned and saw three men dressed in tactical gear sitting down at a table. The logo on their uniforms brought back some bad memories. The City Enforcement. The replacement for the Civil Protection. Their modus operandi was to be friendlier while still enforcing the law. Dawn knew the man with the short black hair, the friendly face, and nice guy attitude. Barney Calhoun, the chief of City Enforcement. He was smiling and laughing with the two other guys. Dawn took another sip and her vision became more impaired. One of the guys at the table began to look familiar. He was a short blonde hair man with a muscular build. He looked right at her and smiled. Then he got out a katana blade, pointed it at her, and ran towards her. Dawn shook her head and closed her eyes, realizing it was a flashback. Dawn paid her tab. She walked past Barney and left the restaurant. When she got outside, the sun was descending. She walked past two citizens who were in conversation.

"I can hear it," one of the said, "It's not a howling from those zombies. It's woman laughing."

"Yeah, I hear it too," the other one said, "It's creepy as hell. Who is she?"

"I don't know. But that's the reason people stay in a night. I think I saw her scaling the rooftops I actually thought the fast zombies came back."

"Yeah, I could have sworn I heard footsteps on the rooftops. That's what we need right, another terror."

In the distance, as the sun continued to go down, Dawn saw the skyline of another city across the river. The river had improved over the months, but was still polluted. She walked towards there, passing more abandoned and repaired buildings as well as citizens who looked like they were in despair. She contemplated the idea that may have been her. Sleeping in an alley or an abandoned building, eating scraps, and waiting and hoping something would drag her wretched carcass out of this hellhole. After the Combine defeat, Dawn was awarded a large sum of money. It made her financial situation comfortable, but everything else made her miserable. Some of the citizens called her a hero, others called her the fallen hero. She was approaching the bridge by the river when she came across a City Enforcement car. Two CE members were standing around a dead body lying in the middle of the street. Some citizens were watching. Long ago, Dawn would have investigated. She would have cared and worried about what happened to this unfortunate victim. But those days were long gone.

Dawn stared at the city across the wasted river. She could not recall the name of the city but did remember how much more horrendous it was. It was a prison where the insane and more ruthless criminals would spend what was left of their lives. Maybe she belonged there, she thought. In the last five years, she had done nothing worthy for anybody. She watched as a security boat floated by. It did not make her feel better but it made the citizens feel safe. A worrying suspicion always clouded her mind about the City Enforcement. It may have been the alcohol consumption that caused her to feel that way. She kept telling herself that she would secretly observe them. But being the deadbeat she had become, she never had the determination to pursue it. She needed to be motivated by something they had done because it was the only way for her to do what she needed to do. In this type of a world, she knew that day would come.

Dawn walked along the bridge keeping her head down. Then, true to form, someone was lurking in the shadows behind her. It started to follow her, hiding behind large pieces of rubble, broken down cars, and dumpsters. Whatever it was, it was no ninja. Dawn did not hear the noise that was made behind her. The figure pulled out a large knife and snuck up behind her. This was when she saw the shadow behind her and quickly turned around. It was a young girl with scars on her face. She looked diseased and wore a ragged black robe. The young girl came at her with a knife. Dawn blocked the knife and kicked her in the ribs. She turned the young girl around and put her in a sleeper hold. A few seconds later the young girl passed out. Dawn let her fall to the ground. It did not matter to her if the young girl was dead. She continued on down the bridge as if it was business as usual. The City Enforcement would soon make their rounds by the bridge and find the body. After all the commotion, Dawn was beginning to crave another alcoholic drink. She was now on the other side of the bridge and knew where to find a drink. There were vagrants all around the area. This was the part of the city were there were no plans to rebuild. Everyone who did not care about the new rebuilt city lived here. She walked past groups of people who were either passed out, sleeping, or even dead against the walls. None of them had alcohol. If any of them did, she would take it by force if she had to. As the minutes passed by, her neediness for a drink grew more. Many of the vagrants looked at her with desire. Here she was a young woman in an area full of drunken citizens. Dawn could care less how these vagrants looked at her. Then, she saw three men sitting in a corner. They had plenty of alcohol. Dawn spotted a big bottle of whiskey on the table. As she walked over there, one of the men spotted her. All she could care for is that bottle of whiskey.

"How much for it?" She asked as she took out a handful of coins.

One of the vagrants looked at her stomach and chest.

"No charge for you pretty lady," he muttered, "Let's go inside. I want a special kind of payment from you."

Dawn knew right away what he wanted and she was going to have none of it. She threw the coins at the ground near him and took the whiskey bottle. She took a sip as she stormed out of the alley. The feeling she experienced while drinking the whiskey was bliss. Of course, this feeling would not last. The three men followed her as she continued to drink.

"Hey little lady," the vagrant shouted, "Get that sweet ass back here."

Dawn stopped and turned around. One of the vagrants had a baseball bat and the other had a knife.

"Just crawl back into the little piss hole you came out of," Dawn said.

"Get her boys," the vagrant demanded.

"Don't do it, or you'll get hurt," Dawn said as she pointed at them.

The two vagrants ignored her request. She set the whiskey bottle down. The man with the knife tried to stab her but she evaded the attack, kicked him in the knee, and elbowed him in the face, knocking him down. The man with the bat swung at her but she dodged each swing. He swung once more and Dawn was able to deliver a punch right in the nose causing him to stumble down. Dawn got on top of him and hit him in the face with her elbow, knocking him out. The last vagrant grabbed a rock and ran at her. She quickly picked up the bat and hit him right in the face. He is instantly knocked out. She picked up her whiskey bottle where the knife wielding vagrant was still on his knees. She took a sip and kicked him in the face, knocking him unconscious. During the commotion someone contacted the City Enforcement. She saw the lights flashing and made a run for it.

A young woman wearing a hoodie was watching her from the rooftops. She was able to navigate across the rooftops as Dawn ran through the city. The young woman stopped following her when Dawn ran across the bridge. She had blonde hair, was thin, and was wore white face paint with red lips and black paint smothered over her eyes. She had an evil grin on her face and let out a small chuckle. She suddenly stopped smiling and laughing as she stood up on the rooftop. She stared into the night as Dawn disappeared over the bridge. Then, the flashing lights caught her attention. She quickly made her way back. The young woman was very agile as she was able to leap across rooftops, avoid large air ducts, and climb over railings with ease. The flashing lights got brighter as she approached the crime scene. She got down on her stomach and crawled closer. There they were, the City Enforcement, investigating the crime scene. Barney Calhoun and others were interrogating the vagrants.

"So, you say this woman attacked you, is that right?" Barney asked.

"Yeah, she stole my whiskey," the vagrant mumbled.

"That's not what witnesses say. You were the one causing trouble."

Barney signaled a CE member over.

"Put him in the van with the others," Barney told him.

"Ah, screw the City Enforcement," the vagrant shouted. "You are the real criminals."

The young woman had her eyes fixed on Barney. She smiled with a small giggle. She took out a knife and pretended moved it across his throat from the distance. The vagrant was placed in the van. Barney and the others drove off and of course, the young woman followed. She had no trouble keeping up with the van due to the fact that she took shortcuts and knew exactly were the station was. She was so quick she waited for the van to arrive. She smiled and the van stopped. Barney and the others got out of the van and opened the door. Barney pulled the vagrant out and threw him on the ground. He kicked him in the stomach. The other CE members took the other vagrants out of the van and escorted the inside. The young woman giggled.

"No liberal jack offs to save you now," Barney shouted. "Now stand up asshole."

The vagrant struggled to stand up with his hands cuffed.

"Filthy drunk," Barney muttered.

Barney grabbed him by the hair and slammed him into the van. Instead of the traditional escort into the police station, Barney kicked him until he stumbled inside. The young woman watched Barney until he went in the station. She lay on her back with a smile on her face as she stared into the night sky. She began to laugh.


	2. Another Day, Another Hangover

**Chapter 2: Another Day, Another Hangover**

As Dawn woke up, she saw the bright sunshine come into her bedroom. She had her long blonde hair again. Dawn walked towards the window and looked out at the beautiful view. There was no war ravage, no toxic waste, and no ruined buildings. There was no Combine, savages, or alien zombies to fight through. It was all perfect.

And of course, Dawn woke up from her dream and entered back into her nightmare. She lay in bed with her whiskey bottle, which was almost empty. She didn't want to get up. So there she was in bed, another day, another hangover, and still wearing the same clothes she had on last night. Dawn suddenly opened her eyes. She had no clue what happened last night. She slowly got up and out of bed and fell to the ground. When she picked herself up, she showered, and changed her clothes. She sat on ruined sofa and brushed her short hair back. Then, she rubbed her eyes and slouched back on the sofa. The view outside was not the glamourous view she envisioned in her dream. Welcome back to reality she thought to herself. Then, there was a knock at the door. Dawn took out her .357 and opened the door. No one was there. She saw a knife stuck in her door. It was the same knife the vagrant had last night.

The young woman was watching her from across the building. She was now wearing a white t-shirt black spandex pants and combat boots. She had the same face paint scheme as the night before and her blonde hair was tied in pigtails. She saw Dawn enter back into her apartment holding the knife. She smiled. Dawn was now on her way outside. The young woman was going to follow her every move. As Dawn walked outside and headed down the street, the young woman made her hands into binoculars and smiled. As Dawn turned down another street, the young woman quickly jumped down on to a staircase and with lighting fast speed, and ran across the street without anyone seeing her and climbed up the other staircase on the adjacent building. Just like that she was back on the rooftop, watching Dawn. The young woman stalked her until Dawn entered the restaurant. She took out her knife and made a slicing motion across Dawn's neck.

Dawn had already ordered her drink and was looking at the knife that was stuck on her door. In the past, Dawn would have investigated. But that was then. She had a feeling this person would be back. Dawn paid her tab and exited the restaurant. Right in front of her was a City Enforcement van. Barney Calhoun was leaning against it with his arms folded, staring right at Dawn.

"Dawn Crenshaw is it?" He asked. "I need to talk to you about an incident last night."

Dawn knew what he was asking about.

"Why did you run off after the three men attacked you?"

"I don't know okay," she said. "How do you know my name?"

"Witnesses described a thin woman with short blonde hair, and a pissed off attitude. I asked around and you're name came up. Now I got a face to go with a name."

"So what am I in trouble for?"

"Nothing. Why were you over on that side last night?"

"Just looking for something to drink."

"Drinks, huh. You should avoid that area. Just because the Combine is gone, that don't mean every place is safe. You should know better than anybody."

Barney unfolded his arms and opened the door to the van.

"If you want something to drink, I can help you out," he said. "Let's go down the station."

Despite his friendly face and demeanor, Dawn did not trust him. But it was hard for her to resist the offer of a drink. She also realized she had nothing to worry about, she could defend herself. Dawn walked over to the van and got in. He started the van and began driving toward the City Enforcement station.

"You know something, the Civil Protection would never do something like this," Barney said.

"Well I'm glad they're gone," Dawn said.

"Me too. I'm also glad the Combine is history. What a world, huh? I'm just glad everything will be back to normal soon."

"We got a long way to go."

"Dangerous world. You need to watch yourself."

"I know how to take care of myself."

"Of course you do. You're one of the reasons the Combine is no more. No one would be stupid enough to mess with you. Well, some people are."

"I just miss the way things used to be. We as a society will never be the same. And it was all because of a war. A war we lost and then a war we won. For the past few years people have had to live in this hellhole."

"Give it time. Society will shape up. It will be like it never happened. Do you notice the grass is greener, trees are growing, and the air is breathable? Soon you'll be back with your friends hanging out at the mall and having slumber parties."

Barney laughed but Dawn didn't.

"I'm sorry. But you are right. The main reason we lost the war: Liberals. When those bastards took office, everything went to shit. Those aliens came from who knows were and beat us because we had no plan, barely any weapons, and shoddy leadership. That's why we lost."

Maybe he had a point or maybe he did not. Either way, Dawn could care less.

"That's America for you," he continued.

Dawn was not interested in what Barney thought. She continued to look out the window at the mixture of rundown buildings and rebuilt ones. The van approached the City Enforcement station. There were other CE members outside. The building was near the wasted river. As she got out, she stared across to the city on the other side.

"That place is called Ashgate," Barney proudly stated. "The worst of the worst are in there now."

As Barney and Dawn walked toward the entrance, Dawn could almost hear the eerie sounds coming from Ashgate. Then, the young woman was watching them from behind the van with an evil grin.

Dawn was sitting at Barney's desk. She looked around at newspaper clippings and photos. She saw pictures of the day Earth surrendered to the Combine as well as the day the Rebellion defeated the Combine. She saw a newspaper clipping of the Black Mesa Massacre fourteen years earlier. Another one had a picture of Gordon Freeman with the headline "KILLED." She also saw an old picture of Barney wearing a helmet, black vest, and a blue shirt. She recognized the logo on his vest. It was from the Black Mesa Research Facility. Then she saw Adrian Shepard's face on one and stared at it. She began having flashbacks of her time there. Adrian Shepard holding her throat and stroking her hair came right into her mind. Then, Barney entered holding a folder. He sat down across from her.

"I got a proposition for you," he said. "How would you like to do some work for us?"

"What kind of work?"

"I've been looking for some people. Criminals, thugs, whatever you want to call them. We've been too busy here to search for them ourselves. That's where someone like you comes in."

"What's in it for me? Cause I have enough money."

"You sure do, but you would benefit nicely if you accepted the offer."

He took out a key and placed it in front of her.

"The building with 1000 on it right near here. All the alcohol you want. Anytime you want. Not only that you can be free to do anything you wish. How's that sound?"

This proposition was something she did not need to think about.

"Whatever it is, I'll do it," she said.

"Good. The first person on the list calls himself Dalton. He's been raiding everyone he seems a threat to him. He's paranoid and insane. The only things I call tell you about him are he's north of here and near the abandoned sheet metal factory. He's with a gang of other thugs just like him. I think he's trying to start a revolution against us and the rest of the citizens."

"I'll go after him, right now."

"We can't. We have to wait until the sun starts going down. Meet us by the restaurant at six. Until then, help yourself."

Dawn was now back at her place. For the first time in months, her refrigerator was full of liquor, whiskey, and beer. Not a bad form of payment. She sat on her couch, drinking until the time came to meet with Barney. What has she got herself into? She was not worried about the dangers that lay ahead. She had want she wanted. The time eventually came for her to head out. She got dressed in her old gear; tactical vest, combat boots, camo pants, and a black long sleeve shirt. She grabbed her guns, knives, and brass knuckles. She also carried a new item, a flask with the best tasting liquor she ever had. It was not for liquid courage, it was for pleasure. Dawn headed outside as the sun began to descend. Barney had given her a City Enforcement pick-up truck. She hated it but it was better than walking.

There he was, Barney Calhoun, standing on the side of his van along with two CE members. He waved to her as she drove near them. She got out of the truck and walked towards them.

"Gentlemen, this is Dawn Crenshaw," Barney stated, "The most badass, ruthless warrior in this wasted hellhole."

He made it sound like Dawn was a Queen and he was his lowly servant. She was not looking for any heroic introductions, but Barney continued anyway.

"This young woman right here helped eradicate the Combine from its merciless existence. I wouldn't cross her unless you wanted to know what it is like to be in hell."

It seemed as if Barney enjoyed being in the presence of Dawn. It was someone meeting his idol.

"Anyway, I'd like you to meet my fellow soldiers. This is Lieutenant Malcolm. He's quite the badass as well. And this here is Sergeant Franklin. He's a tough kid too."

She shook hands with them. Lt. Malcolm had dark skin, was a tall, bald, and not the type for smiling. Sgt. Franklin was the one who looked like Adrian Shepard. Shaking his hand and looking into his blue eyes reminded her of times she would like to forget. There was something abnormal about him from the way he smiled at her. It was as if they met before.

"I look forward working with you," Sgt. Franklin said.

Dawn just stared at him.

"Okay gentlemen and lady, let's move out," Barney commanded.

Dawn walked towards the van.

"What's her problem?" Sgt. Franklin asked Lt. Malcolm.

"She's mean as hell apparently," Lt. Malcolm answered. "I guess she's the type with a lot of problems.

They were driving down a long road with nothing but mountains in the background as the sun was going down. Barney was driving, Dawn was riding shotgun, and Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin were in the back. Dawn sworn she remembered trees in this area. It was now a desolate land with no evidence of life nearby. They passed by a broken down Combine vehicle.

"That brings back memories," Lt. Malcolm said, "Battling our way through City 17, day in and day out, kicking the Combine's ass, blowin' shit up, what a way to live."

"Yeah, fun times, am I right?" Sgt. Franklin said.

The two sounded as if they enjoyed being in the warzone. As much as a hypothetical war monger Barney made her out to be, she hated war with a passion and now it appeared as if she was about to enter another one, all to feed her alcoholic addiction.

"I hope we don't have another war like that again," Barney said, "War is Hell."

"If there is another one, me and Franklin will fight it, you can sit back in your cubby hole," Lt. Malcolm joked.

"What makes you think you'll survive this time?" Barney asked.

"That's what makes war fun," Sgt. Franklin said, laughing.

"That's all you two are, a minster of death, praying for war!" Barney proudly stated.

The abandoned sheet metal factory Barney mentioned earlier was near. They drove alongside a large hill until they met up with another City Enforcement group who were ready and armed. Barney waved to them as he continued to drive by.

"Okay Dawn, this is where you come in," Barney said, "You know how to deal with people like this so I want you to lead the charge. If any miscreants pose a threat, don't hesitate to shoot. Remember, the leader's name is Dalton."

He pulled out a picture of him. He had long scraggy gray hair, a full beard, and a tribal tattoo design around his left eye. Barney stopped the van. They got out with their assault rifles ready and jogged towards the warehouse. There was not much cover around so they had no choice but to hit this place straightforward.

"Let's get this asshole," Barney said.

Barney did not make it clear to Dawn if he wanted Dalton shot on sight or captured. She knew what she was going to do and that Barney and his crew of muscle headed soldiers would have to deal with it. The sun seemed like it was stuck halfway into the earth. She thought to herself this might be a good thing because of the extra light. It would only be under an hour before the earth completely swallowed it and she knew it. As they continued down the deserted path, Dawn remembered watching the sunset every day before and after the invasion alongside Kurt. She thought about Kurt and wondered if he was watching the same thing. She tried not to let her emotions get the better of her in this situation. Now this is how it ended up; watching the sunset on the rooftops to hunting down some lowlife during the sunset all for a bottomless pit of alcohol that was promised to her by some cheerful faced man she hardly knew.


	3. As Ruthless As They Come

**Chapter 3: As Ruthless As They Come**

As they got closer to the warehouse, they noticed that there was a large fence with barb wire surrounding it. Barney looked behind him and saw the rest of the City Enforcement ready and armed. He signaled them to provide cover as they prepared to breach the entrance.

"Dawn, these two will breach, me and you will provide cover," Barney said to her.

"But this will alarm them when it goes off," she replied.

Barney smiled at her.

"Just watch," he said.

Lt. Malcolm placed a sticky substance on the lock and Sgt. Franklin lit a fuse. No one bothered to move away but Dawn was prepared to hear a loud boom. Instead the sticky substance created a bright blaze that immediately melted the lock.

"Cool huh?" Lt Malcolm said, smiling at her.

After the short blaze of fury, the door was easy to open. The crew prepared for the gang that was ahead of them. Of course for Dawn, this was nothing new. She lost track of how many heartless thugs she has put down. Barney signaled for the crew to follow. There were about twenty members of the City Enforcement followed them in. Dawn looked up and saw Dalton looking out the window.

"There," she shouted.

Barney saw him.

"Surround the area!" Barney yelled to the backup.

They breached the warehouse entrance and entered. The place was desolate with anti-government and anti-authority posters and graffiti. The crew headed upstairs looking for any member of the gang. Suddenly, appearing around the corner were three gang members. They each had MP5's and immediately began firing at Dawn and Barney. They were able to find cover behind a large metal barrier. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin were able to return fire and shoot down the three members. Two were dead and one was bleeding to death. Barney walked over to him and put his assault rifle on the man's forehead.

"Where's Dalton?" Barney yelled.

The man showed him is middle finger.

"Wrong answer," Barney said.

Barney shot the man in the chest to finish him off. Dawn was surprised and looked at Barney in disgust. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin were not startled by Barney's actions. Barney looked at Dawn. He had an unusual look in his eyes.

"It had to be done," he whispered to her.

The crew headed toward a staircase. Dawn suspected that Barney had a dark side to him and now it was starting to become exposed. Dawn also remembered that he was the chief of the City Enforcement and could get away with any deed he deemed necessary. They headed upstairs in search of Dalton. The area at the top seemed empty. Barney signaled to provide cover. Then, the gang members came out from hiding, shooting at them. The crew shot back as they headed for cover. Dawn shot down three crew members and immediately went for cover further into the room. There were only six gang members in the area. Dawn shot down two more gang members and ran for another cover. The gang members shot at the metal barrier she was behind. Barney and the crew returned fire and killed three of the gang members. Dawn signaled back to them that there was one more left. She knew where the gang member was and walked over towards the area. Dawn looked behind the barrier and saw that it was a woman the same age as her. She was scared. Dawn kneeled down beside her and pointed her gun at her.

"I want to know where Dalton is," Dawn said. "Tell me and you will live."

The woman's fear turned into anger. Dawn grabbed her throat and held her on the ground. She threated to punch her.

"One more time," Dawn said.

The woman tried to struggle but Dawn began punching her in the face. She picked her up and threw her into the wall. When the woman fell down Dawn kicked her in the ribs. She then placed one hand under the woman's chin and the other on top of her head.

"He's hiding in a room with a skull and crossbones flag over it," the woman said, sobbing.

"Good," Dawn replied.

Dawn put her in a sleeper hold and knocked her out. Barney and rest of the crew were standing by her.

"You see guys, she knows how to get information," Barney proudly said, "She is as ruthless as they come."

The crew headed down the hallway. Dawn quickly ran ahead of Barney, in search of the door with the skull and crossbones flag. She was surprised to see that there were few gang members around. Maybe they had run off in fear, leaving their leader to take the fall. Dawn ran into a large area and saw the skull and crossbones flag. There was anti-government propaganda around the door as well as anti-City Enforcement graffiti on the walls. Dawn approached the door. Unlike the front entrance to this makeshift fortress the door was not barricaded and seemed to be a regular door. She kicked the door a few times and then used her .357 magnum to shoot the lock off. She gave it another kick and the door swung open revealing Dalton's room. When it came to breaching entrances, she was not like Barney. Instead of taking every precaution and playing it by the book, she stood there scouting the location. Then, she walked right in the room, being prepared to open fire on anyone who was dumb enough to jump out and attack. Dawn saw a pair of hands rising up from behind a large desk. She quickly ran over there and saw that it was Dalton. She held him at gunpoint.

"Gotcha," she said smiling.

"You have to help me!" Dalton pleaded, "The City Enforcement are crazy, they'll kill me."

"That guy, Barney Calhoun, he's not as nice as he seems. He's got something going on!"

Dawn could not figure out if he was telling the truth or if he was just insane. She had seen what Barney had done earlier. Then, Barney and his crew came into the room along with the backup. Barney clapped when he saw Dalton on his knees.

"Well look at this guys!" He proudly exclaimed, "She got him!"

He looked at Dalton.

"Looks like you're done. Get him out of here."

The backup members took Dalton out of the room. Barney patted Dawn on the back.

"Good work. I never thought you would have forced Dalton into sobbing and crying, but you did. I'll see that you are rewarded for your efforts today, just like I promised, badass!"

By the time nightfall had come, Dawn was back at her place. There were beer and liquor bottles on the floor. She now had a decent stock of alcohol and the pay she received was generous. Dalton's words had come to her mind a few times but were quickly forgotten when she realized how much alcohol she had. It made no difference to her whether or not he was right. She had what she wanted.

Outside on the rooftops, the young woman was watching her get wasted. She smiled and laughed. Dawn stumbled around her room until she fell on her bed. The young woman made her move. She jumped across to the next building and quickly went down the staircase until she was outside of Dawn's window. She was asleep on the bed. The young woman slowly entered through the window that Dawn forgot to shut. She looked around the room and saw weapons, empty bottles, and disarranged items. She got on the bed, being careful not to wake Dawn. She got on top of her and moved her fingers through her hair. She got off of her and took out a syringe. The young woman squirted a substance into her whiskey bottle. Then, she laughed.

Dawn woke up and looked around. No one was there. She looked outside and saw no one. She was still dizzy and everything was distorted. Dawn took another sip of whiskey. A few seconds later, she became really disoriented. As she began to lose consciousness, she saw the young woman smiling at her from the window. The young woman laughed as Dawn fell back on her bed. The young woman once again got on top of her, grabbed Dawn's hands, and pinned them to the floor. She leaned in closer.

"Nighty night Dawn," the young woman said, smiling.

She stroked her hair as Dawn fell unconscious.

The bright morning sun gleamed on the rooftop. The young woman stood in front of Dawn who was tied to a chair and was regaining consciousness. She smiled and grabbed Dawn's throat.

"Rise and shine Dawn, rise and shine," She said.

"Who are you?" Dawn muttered.

"You'll soon find out."

She let go of Dawn and began walking in circles around her.

"I've been watching you very closely. I know where you go, what you do, who you talk to, and when you intoxicate yourself. I know all about you."

The young woman stopped in front of her and showed her wicked smile.

"You're not taking very good care of yourself are you?" She said.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want from me?" Dawn demanded.

"What I want? Let's see. REVENGE."

"I don't even know-who-what are talking about?"

"Revenge, Dawn. Revenge for what you did a long time ago."

Dawn did not remember much about the past. She kept trying to remember what she had done to cause this woman wearing psychotic clown make up to tie her to a chair on the rooftop.

"How do you know my name?" Dawn asked.

"My father told me who you are. You remember my father right?"

Dawn was at a loss. To her, she was just another psycho across City 17 that somehow was able to dig deep into Dawn's life. But she would soon find out who she was.

"My name Madeline. You can call me Maddie. I see everything that goes on in this miserable hellhole."

Maddie leaned in closer.

"When you visited Black Mesa a few years ago, you met my father," Maddie said, "Remember Tim?"

A chill ran down Dawn's spine as her memory of the creepy scientist evoked her memory.

"You killed him," Maddie said, "You killed him. You shot him. My father. YOU KILLED HIM!"

"No, it wasn't me," Dawn said. "I swear, you have to understand..."

"YOU KILLED HIM!" Maddie screamed, "I was just a little girl when you took him away from me!"

Maddie slapped Dawn in the face.

"I know what happened that day," Maddie continued, "He called me and told me about you. You were friends with some brainless fool named Walter. He said to me that if anything happened to him, he wanted me to avenge him. Then, he told me he loved me. I never spoke to him again. You know why? BECAUSE YOU KILLED HIM!"

Maddie slapped her again. Dawn remembered that fateful day and a memory triggered in her mind. She remembered aiming the gun at Tim and pulling the trigger, but the gun was empty. Someone else had killed Tim.

"I swear to you, it was someone else." Dawn said.

"No, it was you," Maddie said. "I know it was you."

"You're wrong."

"I don't believe you. He's dead because of you and now you will suffer."

Dawn had been through some rough things, but this was giving her a trembling chill which she tried not to show. Maddie laughed loudly. The laughed turned into a chuckle and then an evil laugh. She then stopped and looked at Dawn with cold, serious eyes. She stared at her for a moment and showed her evil grin. She began to chuckle again. Then the chuckle became an insane laugh. Dawn could do nothing but sit there and listen to this maniac.

"You want to know why I haven't killed you yet?" Maddie said, "There really is no satisfaction when you kill someone in their sleep. There's no enjoyment when you kill from behind. It's when you look them in the eye and you see them quivering with fear. I love it when people fear me. I love it when they beg for their lives. I know you will."

"You're messing with the wrong person," Dawn said. "You're nothing but a damn animal."

"Oh an animal you say. We're a lot alike I supposed. We both stalk, hunt, and study the movements of our prey. But the big difference is, an animal kills quickly and for food. I kill slowly for ecstasy."

Maddie laughed.

"There are two ways I kill," Maddie continued, "With a knife, and with my bare hands. The feeling you get when you stab someone is pure bliss. It takes longer for them to die and you can feel the life in them slowly escaping. Killing without a weapon, you can actually feel when their lives slowly fade away. The feeling is orgasmic."

Maddie held Dawn's hair. She leaned in closer and appeared to be inspecting her face. She put her forehead on Dawn's forehead and smiled. Maddie giggled. Dawn angrily stared back at her. She then realized this is how this psycho wanted her to feel. Dawn tried her best not to let Maddie break her.

"You kill with a gun," Maddie said, "That's not fun at all. It's too quick. The best part about killing someone, is torturing them first."

Maddie held Dawn's throat. Dawn was able to loosen the rope behind on her hands. She quickly grabbed Maddie's arm and punched her right in the face. Dawn loosened the rest of the ropes and began kicking Maddie while holding her arm. Dawn grabbed Maddie's throat and began choking her. Maddie was trying to laugh as Dawn pressed harder. Dawn grabbed her hair and dragged her near the edge of the roof. Maddie laughed. As Dawn was about to slam her head on the edge, Maddie was able to escape. She threw kicks and punches at Dawn, but she blocked and evaded each attack. Dawn tried to punch her, but Maddie put her in a leg scissor and took her down. Dawn quickly escaped the hold and the two were in a standoff. Maddie laughed and stomped her foot on the ground to reveal a knife inside her boot. She did the same to the other boot and out came another knife. She tried to hit Dawn with more kicks and eventually cut Dawn's arm. Dawn quickly hit her with an elbow, knocking Maddie down. She tried to stomp on her, but Maddie rolled out of the way near the edge of the building.

"Come and get me!" Maddie shouted.

She jumped off the edge and disappeared. Dawn ran over to the edge and saw Maddie running quickly across the rooftops. She realized Maddie was too fast. Maddie leaped across the buildings and continued across the rooftops, vanishing in the bright sun.

Dawn went back down to her place and was now over the sink. Blood was dripping from the cut. She grabbed a large wrap bandage and tied it around her arm. There was a mix of trauma and adrenaline going through her. Another drink would take care of all that. She thought about the possibility of the drinks being drugged, but she would take that risk. The blood was seeping through the bandage but it appeared to hold the blood in. Dawn needed to tell Barney about what happened.

At the police station, Dawn was sitting at Barney's desk while he was searching for information about Tim on the computer.

"Tim, that son of a bitch," Barney said. "I remember him. The slimiest dickhead I ever met. I can't believe he actually had a daughter."

"She's a deranged one too," Dawn said. "She's crazier than he was."

Barney found a picture of Tim.

"There he is! Tim Brennan," Barney said, "Black Mesa scientist, MIT graduate, over 20 years in the field. He had a divorce, no criminal record, and has a daughter named Madeline."

He turns the screen around to show her.

"That's him," she said.

"Nothing else on Madeline," he said, "She must have disappeared after Tim died and hid out during the war."

"She claims to have killed people. She described in detail what it was like to kill someone. It was like she knew exactly the way they felt. She enjoyed it. Sick asshole."

"Well I have a gut feeling this psycho will be back for you. You're not safe at your place, so I want you stay here over in the bunkers. You'll have one to yourself."

"Look, I'm not afraid of her."

"I know you're not. You said she snuck up on you. She'll do it again. Then, we can look for her and bring her in. Or you can bring her in as only you can."

Dawn stared at the picture of Tim on the screen. Maddie would be back for her and she would keep coming back until one of them was dead. Dawn did not want someone removing her from her home. She would have no choice.


	4. The Crossroads Of Truth And Lies

**Chapter 4: The Crossroads of Truth and Lies**

The night had come and Dawn was now in the bunker outside the police station. Barney's bunker was next to hers. She had almost all of her belongings with her. Dawn looked out the window at the night sky. As usual, she drank herself to sleep. As she laid there, the bunker door swung open. There was Maddie, smiling. She walked towards Dawn who was still sleeping and got on the bed. She stroked Dawn's face with the back of her hand. Dawn opened her eyes and saw Maddie on the bed. She realized she was now tied down the bed and couldn't move.

"Don't struggle Dawn," Maddie said softly. "I'm going to take good care of you."

Maddie got on top of her and smiled. Dawn stared right into her malicious eyes as Maddie leaned in closer. She got out her knife and stroked the flat side on Dawn's face.

"You have such a pretty face," Maddie said. "I want it."

Maddie let out an evil laugh and swung the knife right at Dawn. Then, she woke up. Dawn grabbed her gun and looked around the bunker. No one was there. She checked the door and made sure it was locked. Even though Dawn had suffered through a revolving door of antagonists, her never ending nightmares continued. She expected it. Peace and a safe haven had been a thing of the past. She was used to this and like always, would have no choice but to fight on. Dawn laid back down on the bed and looked out at the night sky. She drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Dawn was leaning against the City Enforcement van. She was dressed in her tactical gear and was waiting for Barney. She finished her whiskey and tossed the bottle in a pile of trash nearby. Barney walked towards her holding a clipboard.

"You shouldn't get wasted before you head out," he said, "But hey whatever helps you."

He handed her a piece of paper. It was a man with short black hair and glasses.

"That's our next felon," he said, "His name is Travis Cowan. He's a former scientist at Black Mesa who worked in the Anomalous Materials Lab. He went rogue before the war and started this whole anti-government brigade. He's a lot like Dalton, except he may be harder to find."

"He doesn't seem too threatening," she said.

"Yeah, maybe not to you. Never underestimate these criminals. The problem is, we don't know how many followers he has recruited or what kind of weapons he has created. Let's head out."

They got in the van. Barney drove down the road.

"So what's his location?" Dawn asked.

"We don't know exactly, but it's believed to be in some shithole town a few miles from here. It's full of some pretty unfriendly folks, but nothing you can't handle."

Dawn stared at the picture. Travis had an innocent look to him. He didn't look like the usual array of criminals.

"Oh by the way, you going to have to fly solo in this," Barney said.

"Why?"

"Well, you look a lot like someone who dwells in that area, you would blend right in. Besides, if they see us, it will jeopardize the operation. He thinks we are not on to him, so if someone does spot us, he could flee the area. Not to worry, the City Enforcement has you covered. It will have to be from a distance though, so don't get to rough with these guys."

Barney stopped the van.

"Okay, were close by, you'll have to walk from here," Barney said. "Franklin and Malcolm are up ahead. I'll go find them and hide out. Stay safe."

They got out of the van. Barney ran into the woods, leaving Dawn by herself. She walked down the road and approached the town. Sure enough, the citizens were untidy, threatening, and armed to the teeth. This did not worry Dawn at all. She too had reassurance with weapons of her own. The citizens of this alleged establishment looked as if they wanted trouble to come. Dawn never wanted trouble, but accepted it when it forced its way into her life. Some of the citizens, men and women, looked at her as she walked through the town and then looked away. Just like Barney said, she was blending in. Somehow, Barney knew of this establishment a little too well. There was a large building ahead that had a white van parked in front. Another building had large metal barrels in the alley beside it. Ahead, there was a rundown three story building. There was a skinny man sitting by the door. He had his head down. There were marks on his arms and he was twitching. As Dawn approached him, he looked up. His eyes were dark and his face was pale. Dawn's first thought was that he was a drug addict. He began to twitch more as Dawn got closer.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked.

It had been a long time since she cared enough to ask that question.

"They're coming man," he said.

"Who is?"

"The Combine. They're still here."

Dawn had not seen the Combine in years. It was obvious he was paranoid.

"Have you seen Travis Cowan?" Dawn said.

"Inside. You want drugs? He's got 'em."

The man put his head down. Dawn walked inside the building. The place looked like as deserted doctor's office. On the front desk, there were empty syringes. There were small rubber hoses on the floor as well as more syringes, scalpels, and bandage wrappers. She looked around the front office and found no signs of life. She questioned herself on whether or not to trust the paranoid junkie outside, but she had no other leads. She walked down the hallways and past empty rooms. The chairs in the rooms were covered in blood. Something sinister was definitely here. Dawn reached the end of the hallway and turned around. A large man was right behind her. He grabbed her throat and held her against the wall. There were scars on his face and arms. Dawn tried to struggle free, but it was no use. Then, the man let her go and he leaned against the wall. Dawn took out her .357 and pointed it right at his head. The man began sobbing. She wondered why he let go of her and then realized he wasn't going to kill her. She lowered her gun.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"You. First." He stated.

"I'm Dawn. I'm looking for Travis Cowan."

"Doctor. Top Floor."

"Thank you."

"He. Give me medicine. Make me better."

It was difficult for her to distinguish between truth and lies. The large man sat down on the floor. She kneeled down beside him.

"I'll get you help. For you and the other man outside, okay?" Dawn said sympathetically.

She stood up and headed toward the stairs. The top floor was quiet. Dawn saw a shadow of someone from a bright light in one of the rooms. She got her gun ready and entered. Travis Cowan was there, working on a batch of chemicals. He looked up and saw her.

"Who the hell?" Travis said.

"You're coming with me," Dawn said, pointing her gun at him.

Three men began shooting at her. Dawn dived and shot back. She was able to shoot down one of them as she landed behind a large counter. She scurried to the other end of the counter and shot back, killing another. The last guy had a shotgun and began to wildly shoot at Dawn. Then, the shooting stopped. Dawn stood up and saw that the guy was gone. She looked around for the last guy who appeared to vanish into thin air. As soon as she looked down at the two dead bodies, the man reappeared and rushed at her with a knife. He tackled her down causing Dawn to lose the gun. He tried to stab her but she held his arm back. He was stronger than her and Dawn was losing the strength contest. She moved her head to the side which allowed the knife to stick in the wooden floor. She hit him with an elbow in the face a few times, knocking him off. Dawn was able to kick him in the face. She tried again but he grabbed her leg and shoved her into the wall. He quickly got up and began choking her. She tried to break free, but it was no use. She tried to kick him but began to weaken. Then, the large man came into the room and delivered a punch to the side of the man's face which knocked him out. Dawn fell to the ground and regained her breath. The large man picked the man up and tossed him out of the window.

"Thank you," Dawn said.

"Doctor. Save me. I need help," the large man said. "I had to save you. Friend."

"I'm going to find him."

She extended her hand and he shook it. Dawn grabbed her gun and ran downstairs. Dawn saw the door to the garage was open and ran inside. Travis and another man, who was dressed like a security guard, threw few things into an old beat up truck. As they were driving away, Dawn jumped in the truck bed. There was no rear or side mirrors. Dawn was sure they did not notice her. As the truck headed down a dirt road, Dawn made her presence felt. She knew shooting the passenger would cause Travis to panic and lose control. Instead, she climbed on the passenger side without being noticed and punched the man in the face. She quickly slammed his head on the dashboard, knocking him out. She pointed the gun at Travis.

"Stop now," Dawn demanded.

Travis hit the brakes and was nervous. Dawn grabbed the passenger and threw him out. She got inside.

"Who the hell are you?" Travis said. "Government? Feds? City Enforcement?"

"Right, and I'm taking you in."

"Listen to me, something is not right about them. I think they control that Ashgate place."

"What did you do to those guys back there?"

Travis's innocent look appeared.

"I cured them," he said. "I am in the process of helping them."

"Why should I believe that?"

"I swear to you. That man outside and the big man, they are test subjects for a biological experiment. Remember those headcrab zombies? They used to be one. I have developed an antidote that can cure them."

Dawn was once again on the crossroads of truth and lies.

"There is a way to detach the headcrabs and still give the victim life," Travis continued, "The City Enforcement want to stop me. So I guess, they sent you to do their dirty work."

Barney, along with Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin drove up to the truck. Barney pointed his gun at Travis.

"Travis Cowan, you are under arrest," Barney shouted, "Step out of the vehicle."

Travis held his hands up and looked at Dawn.

"It's over, the cure is no more," Travis whispered.

He stepped out and Barney cuffed him. He handed him off to Lt. Malcolm who took him back to the van. Sgt. Franklin picked up the passenger and escorted him to the van.

"Man, that was some serious shit you pulled off," Barney said. Like always, you find ways to capture these hooligans. The rest of the guys are raiding the place back there. Hey, you should come over to my place tonight, we all can celebrate a job well done."

"You know, I'm not going to turn down alcohol," Dawn said.

Barney smiled.


	5. An Urge To Kill

**Chapter 5: An Urge to Kill**

Maddie was in her apartment sharpening her knife as the nightfall blanketed the city. Her place was small and had only one light. The walls of her room were torn and on one area, there were numerous articles and newspaper clippings of the Black Mesa incident with Gordon Freeman, the Black Mesa incident with Adrian Shepard, the death of Tim, the Combine invasion, and her personal favorite, Dawn Crenshaw. She also had a picture of her father and her as a young child on the desk she was sitting at. She did not have her traditional face paint on. Under the evilness, there was a beautiful young woman. She had a wicked smile as she ran the honing bar across the blade. She thought about all the people who trembled in fear when she placed the knife at their face. When she reminisced about the people she killed, it sent a pulse wave of pleasure through her body. Usually, she spent her nights on the rooftops, scouring for victims. Maddie stood up and examined her newly sharpened knife. She put on her hoodie and walked over to a large mirror. She took out her face paint kit. First was the white paint on her entire face. Then she applied the black paint around her eyes. Last, she made a sinister smile with the red lipstick.

She left her place through the window and climbed to the top using the ladder nearby. On the rooftops, she stared at the moon and held her arms out. She laughed. Citizens around the area heard the laugh and ran for safety.

Later into the night, Maddie saw two men and a woman walking down the street. They were dressed in punk attire. One guy had medium length blue hair and the other guy had spiky blonde hair. The woman had long purple and black hair. The two men took turns kissing the woman, who seemed to enjoy the attention she was getting. Maddie smirked and then smiled. She saw them earlier breaking the window of a store and taking some food and beer. She had an urge to kill. More victims for her. She climbed down the building quickly and quietly. She moved towards the three by creeping on her hands and feet with the eyes of a maniacal killer. Maddie made sure to stay in the shadows as she crept closer.

"Hey, what if that psycho woman comes around here?" The woman said.

"Baby, I don't give a damn about her," the blonde punk said.

"Yeah, if she comes around here, we're gonna mess her up good," the blue hair punk said.

"And you can watch us disembowel her."

"Oh, you're so bad and wicked," the woman said.

She wraps on leg around him and they kiss. She grabs the blue hair punk by the shirt and kisses him. The blonde punk presses her against the wall and they kiss. The blue hair punk pulls the blond punk off and he kisses her. The woman was getting excited. She took off her shirt and only had on a black bra. Maddie was done waiting and made her move. She laughed. The two men and the woman were startled. The blond punk grabbed his knife.

"There she is!" He shouted. "Come out little lady, I got somethin' for ya!

The blue hair punk put on a pair of spiked knuckles.

"Come on. I've been waiting for this," he said.

They waited for her to emerge out of the darkness. Then, Maddie appeared behind the woman and struck her on the top of the back. She fell to the ground. The two punks turned around and saw Maddie staring right back at them, smiling.

"You rang?" Maddie said. "I've been watching you."

"Well, you got us," the blonde punk said.

"Let's play," Maddie said with a huge smile.

The two punks circled her, waiting for their moment to attack. Maddie stood perfectly still, imagining their deaths. The blue hair punk charged at her, but Maddie flipped over him and tripped him with a sweep kick. The blonde punk ran at her with the knife but he too was taken down when Maddie tripped him. She back flipped her way back up and kicked the blue hair punk in the face a few times. She flipped over him, rolled on the ground, and attempted to spin kick the blonde hair punk using her boot knives. He was able to block the knives with his own. Maddie stopped kicking and laughed.

"Boo!" She yelled.

She laughed again. The blue hair punk tried to sneak behind her but she did a cartwheel and used her boot knife to stab him in the leg. The punk screamed in pain. Maddie chuckled. The blonde punk threw his knife at her, but she easily caught it.

"You idiot!" She said to him. "Who exactly do you think you're dealing with?"

She slowly walked toward him holding his knife.

"You want to rip out my organs, huh? Well I've got ways to make you scream. I can kill you quickly."

The blonde punk backed away as Maddie taunted him.

"Or I can kill you in my most favorite way, slowly, painfully, and with my pleasure. Are you getting scared now?"

The blonde ran away into the dark alleyway. Maddie quickly ran after him. The blue hair punk held his hand over his wound and got up. He limped toward the woman, who was now recovering. Then, the blond punk screamed as Maddie laughed. The blue hair punk was terrified. There was little light in the alleyway and the blue hair punk saw a silhouette of Maddie holding a head in the air. She dropped it on the ground and the silhouette disappeared. Instead of helping the woman up, the blue hair punk ran for it. He could not move well due to the wound and he stumbled to the ground again. Maddie suddenly appeared behind him and stabbed him in the arm. She laughed hysterically as she stabbed him in the other arm. She sat on top of him, pinned his arms with her legs, and continued to laugh. She ran the flat side of the knife across his cheek. The punk shivered.

"When people shiver in fear, it's pure bliss to me."

She held his hair and swung her knife at him, cutting off some of his hair. She raised her knife in the air. The woman heard the scream and stood up. She ran down the alleyway. Then, she screamed when she saw what was in there and ran back out. Maddie stood in front of her. The woman saw the blood dripping from the knife. Maddie grabbed her and held her from behind.

"I want to show you something," Maddie said.

Maddie took her to where the blue hair punk was, who was shivering on the ground. There was blood around his neck and chest area. Maddie dragged the woman by the hair closer to the body. Maddie walked near the punk's head and stomped on it, killing him instantly. Maddie got down on her hands and knees and looked at the punk. She laughed and then looked at the woman with an evil grin. She grabbed the woman's throat and pinned her to the ground.

"You psycho," the woman said.

"I'm a lot crazier than that," Maddie replied.

Maddie rose the knife into the air and swung it down. The hilt of the knife struck the woman's head and knocked her out. She quickly left the scene and climbed back on the rooftops.

Dawn was at Barney's place sitting on the couch. She put enough alcohol in her system to start feeling a bit dizzy. Barney was sitting next to her drinking a beer.

"You know Dawn, I can't thank you enough for apprehending those criminals," Barney said. "You should join us. I mean you're already qualified."

"I don't think this is for me," Dawn said.

"It pays well."

"I already have enough money."

"And how long will that last?"

"I don't know."

"Well think about it. It ain't all bad."

Barney finished his beer.

"Is that all of them? The criminals?" Dawn asked.

"For now, unless someone wants wage another war."

Dawn put her empty beer bottle on the table and opened another one.

"I want to find Maddie," she said, "I want to hunt her down."

Barney looked at her and nodded.

"Good. You do that. Remember, we got your back on this."

Dawn took another sip of beer.

"I'll look tomorrow."

"Good."

Barney looked back at Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin and nodded at them. They both raised their beer cans back at him.


	6. The Intimidation Game

**Chapter 6: The Intimidation Game**

Dawn had slept all night and woke up in her bunker in the late morning. Like many days before, she had a hangover. She took a few moments to clear her head and let the hangover fade away. The task ahead of her was too important to wait. Dawn, despite still feeling a little dizzy, got her gear together. It was time for her to head out and hunt down Maddie. Outside, dark gray clouds were blocking the sunlight she had been used to feeling. She climbed up the nearest building by using the ladder in the alleyway. Dawn knew Maddie roamed the night most of the time, but she wanted to see if there was any evidence that could lead her to this mischievous woman. The rooftops contained, debris, rusted pipes, decaying air conditioner boxes, and a view of the river. Dawn kept playing in her mind the day Tim attacked her. She recalled the moment when Maddie told her Tim's intention was to kidnap her. Dawn was unsure if she was going to kill Maddie.

Dawn made her way back to her old place a few blocks down the road. When she was on the rooftop, the chair and rope were still there and so was Dawn's bloodstain. She climbed down the fire escape and stopped when she reached her old place which was a wreck. The walls looked as if someone carved them with a knife. Her old mattress was cut up and the bathroom door was kicked in. Then, the she saw writing on the living room wall. Someone had written in red, 'I FOUND SOMEONE TO PLAY WITH' followed by a smiley face, also in red. It was an obvious sign Maddie was there. On the wall near the front door, Maddie wrote, 'I WILL FIND YOU DAWN' in red. It was clear the writing was written in blood. This made Dawn angry instead of intimidated. That's what it was, an intimidation game. The only game Dawn was playing was hunter and the hunted. Maddie treated revenge like it was a playful encounter.

She was near a desk she left behind and noticed one of the drawers was still open. She looked inside and saw a picture frame face down. She picked up the frame and looked at the photograph. It showed her father Rick, her mother Sherry, and herself. It was taken years ago. Then, Dawn realized she had taken the picture with her when she moved and wondered how it ended up back here. She had a puzzled look on her face and realized maybe she forgotten it. Her memory may have been clouded due to her inebriation. While she tried to remember, Dawn noticed the blood stain on the bedroom carpet. The trail of blood went from the window and into the bathroom. She slowly opened the door and walked in. Maddie appeared outside the window and watched her while smiling. There was more blood on the bathroom floor which led into the bathtub. She moved towards the bathtub and hesitated before she opened the shower curtain. She was startled by the dead body in the tub. It was a woman with purple and black hair lying in blood. He dead eyes stared straight at the ceiling. There was a stab wound in her chest and her throat was slit. Dawn closed the woman's eyes and shut the curtain.

It was time that Maddie made her presence felt.

"Hello there," Maddie said in a taunting voice.

Dawn turned around.

"Did you miss me?" Maddie continued, "I sure missed you."

"What the hell did you do here?" Dawn said with anger. "How did you get that picture?"

"Come on, do you like what I've done with the place?"

"Answer me, damn it!"

"I told you Dawn, I see everything you do, I know where you go."

Dawn sprinted out of the bathroom and ran after Maddie, who quickly ran up the stairs onto the rooftops. Dawn climbed up the staircase and ran after her. Maddie was on the opposite edge of the building. She smiled and waved at Dawn. As Dawn ran towards her, Maddie leaped across to another rooftop. The gap between the buildings was not far. The sound of thunder could be heard and the clouds were getting darker. Dawn followed her across. By the time she made it to the next rooftop, Maddie was already at the opposite end. Dawn needed to rethink her strategy, or it could turn into infuriating game of hide and seek. She looked around and saw that the rest of the buildings were also close together. Then, Dawn ran after with rage as her fuel. Maddie smiled and ran. Dawn chased her and tried to drain her energy. When Maddie was not looking, Dawn made her way down a fire escape. Maddie looked around for her.

"Aww, Dawn are you getting tired? This is fun isn't it?" Maddie said. "Come out and maybe I'll let you catch me."

Maddie walked over to where Dawn was. She looked over the edge and no one was there. Then, Dawn appeared behind her. She grabbed Maddie by the hair and swung her down. She jumped on top of her and began punching her in the face. Maddie tried to block the punches while she laughed. Dawn pinned her arms down.

"You got me Dawn!" Maddie said. "Let's play something else."

"Shut the hell up!" Dawn yelled. "I'm taking you in. You're going away for a long time."

"I don't think so."

Maddie laughed. Dawn turned her over and got out her cuffs. Then, Maddie made her move and kicked Dawn in the stomach, knocking her back just enough for her to escape. She reached the edge of the building when Dawn pulled her gun out.

"Don't move!" Dawn yelled. "I'll blow your damn head off."

"You wouldn't do that," Maddie said.

"Try me."

Maddie turned around.

"I said try me," Dawn exclaimed.

"Okay Dawn, you win. I'll go quietly."

"Get down now."

Maddie laughed as she kneeled down. Dawn walked towards her and Maddie continued to laugh.

"I'm going down," Maddie said.

She quickly back flipped off of the rooftop. Dawn was puzzled. She walked toward the edge and saw the Maddie was somehow at ground level. She waved to her and skipped down the road. Years ago, Dawn would have taken the shot, but her sharpshooting skills have decreased. As quickly as she could, Dawn ran down the stairs. Maddie continued to skip down the road, passing the citizens who were scared of her presence. Dawn wondered how Maddie was able to scale down so quickly. She had an impressive set of skills, but unfortunately used them for malicious acts.

When Dawn made it down to the street, Maddie had disappeared. The citizens ran off, leaving the streets empty. Then, Maddie reappeared, holding a knife to a woman's throat. Dawn had her gun pointed at her.

"I know you don't want her to die, but I do," Maddie said in vile tone.

"Let her go, she has nothing to do with this," Dawn pleaded.

Maddie laughed.

"What are you going to do? Kill her? Go ahead. Kill her and then kill me. Drag my body back and explain to Barney that you killed an innocent civilian just to get to me."

Dawn was no expert when it came to negotiations. Ever since the invasion, she had been so used to killing anything that was a threat to her. Now it was different. Maddie began to cut the woman's throat just enough to make her bleed. The woman would have screamed, but Maddie had her hand over her mouth.

"Is it worth it?" Maddie asked. "Throw the gun in the dumpster now."

Dawn did not trust Maddie at all. Reluctantly, she threw her gun in the dumpster. Maddie laughed as she forced the woman down on the ground. The woman was sobbing. Maddie put on foot on her back.

"Let her go!" Dawn yelled.

"Nah."

As Maddie attempted to stab the woman, Dawn ran as quickly as she could toward her. Maddie ran off and climbed up the building, using the windows and hollowed out walls to reach the top. Dawn checked on the woman.

"You'll be okay," Dawn said as she helped the woman up. Head back over there and find City Enforcement."

"Thank you," the woman said.

She walked towards the other street. The adrenaline from the tense moment was still ran through her veins like river. She retrieved her gun from the dumpster and looked for a way up. There was no staircase on the side she was on. Dawn walked down an alley and heard Maddie's laugh followed by a loud crash of thunder. Maddie was on the rooftop looking down at her. She leaped across the rooftop and Dawn heard the noise. As sneaky as she was, for some reason, Maddie wanted Dawn to follow her. She continued to look for a way up. As soon as the hangover was beginning to completely fade away, she craved more alcohol. Dawn would never outrun or out maneuver her, so she would have to outthink her. Dawn followed the occasional laughs she made while on the rooftops. Then she realized, Maddie was headed in the direction of her place. Dawn moved close to the walls and made sure she didn't make a sound. She looked up and saw Maddie jump across a building. Maddie then climbed down the building as Dawn hid out of sight behind a broken down car. Maddie looked around and continued to walk down the street. Dawn followed her quietly until Maddie was near her place. She climbed on top of an adjacent building using a ladder. Dawn quickly and quietly ran over to the ladder. She climbed to the top and saw Maddie with her back turned. Dawn climbed up and quietly moved towards Maddie. Before Maddie could move, Dawn ran at her and tackled her to the ground. She struck Maddie in the face and she laughed.

"You want to play?" Dawn said. "Let's play."

Dawn kneed her in the stomach as Maddie laughed. Dawn sat on top of her and pinned her arms using her legs.

"How stupid can you get?" Dawn yelled. "You're in a lot of trouble."

"I know exactly what I'm doing, and it's you who's in trouble."

Dawn slapped her and held her by the throat.

"Give me a reason not to kill you," Dawn said, tightening her grip.

She chuckled and Dawn slapped her two more times.

"Nothing is going to stop me," Dawn continued.

"Oh Dawn, you like playing this game with me."

Dawn slapped her a few more times and Maddie laughed. Dawn grabbed her by the hair and dragged her over to the edge of the building. Maddie tried to get her knife out, but she grabbed her arm, took the knife, and tossed it over the building. Maddie once again was able to break free of Dawn. She stumbled over the edge and held on by her hands. It was not a far drop, but far enough for someone to get hurt. Dawn walked over to her and stared at her, contemplating the idea whether or not to save her. Then, Maddie let go and landed on her legs. She tried to get up but fell back down. It appeared she was injured. Dawn climbed down and pointed the gun at her.

"You move and I will kill you," Dawn said.

"My leg," Maddie cried, "It hurts."

Dawn did not believe her.

"I really don't give a damn about you," Dawn said.

"Fine Dawn, you win, okay? I give up. Here I am, begging you not to hurt me. Please. Is this what you wanted? Does this make you feel good?"

It did not make Dawn feel good. She grabbed Maddie's hair and pulled her up to her knees as the rain began to fall. Dawn put the gun to her head.

"Please Dawn," Maddie begged. "You win. I told you. Just bring me in, okay. Or maybe you want to shoot me it the head just like you did with daddy."

Dawn lowered her gun. Even if Maddie deserved to die, she was not going to kill her execution style. The rain began to wash away some of her face paint as Maddie looked up at Dawn and began to laugh. Dawn looked at her with confusion. Her laughs got louder and Maddie fell back on the ground and rolled around in the rain. Dawn just looked at her, angry.

"Dawn, Dawn, Dawn," Maddie said. "I just want you to play with me. Have some tea with me. Please."

Dawn shook her head no and grabbed Maddie by the hair, pulling her through the street. Maddie reached for a syringe and was able to inject Dawn in the leg. She began to lose consciousness and fell to her knees. Maddie laughed. Dawn fell on her side and her vision was blurry. Then, Maddie walked over to her without injury and pushed Dawn on her back with her foot. She leaned closer to her.

"Let's hope we can be friends now," Maddie said.

Dawn heard Maddie's laugh turn into an echo as she lost consciousness.


	7. A Maddie Tea Party

**Chapter 7: A Maddie Tea Party**

An hour later, Dawn woke up. She was once again tied to a chair, this time with chains around her legs and her left arm was tied to her body. Her right arm was chained to the leg of the chair and was almost free to move around. She regained her clear vision and saw where she was. She was sitting at a round table. To the left, there was a princess doll with long curly blonde hair in a pink dress. To the right, there was a teddy bear dressed in a sailor outfit. One of the eyes was missing. Right next to it was a picture frame lying face down. There was also a set of teacups around the table. On the wall in front of her, she saw newspaper clippings of Black Mesa, the Combine invasion, and herself. She looked around the tattered room and saw a familiar hoodie on the coat rack. She was in Maddie's place. Her heart began to beat rapidly as a nervous sensation ran through her. She tried to break free, but it was no use. Then a door opened. Maddie walked into the room, all smiles and holding a metal pitcher. She was not wearing her face paint and was wearing a light blue dress along with her black boots.

"Aw, look who finally woke up!" Maddie said cheerfully. "This is going to be so much fun! Now we can begin our little tea party."

She set the metal pitcher on the table and sat down across from her.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Dawn yelled.

"I want you to have tea with me silly. I want you to be friends with me."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later. Now that was fun out there, you chasing me then catching me. But now I have you right where I want you. This is all I wanted; someone to play with and have tea with. That's not asking much."

"It is when you kidnap them."

Maddie laughed.

"What on earth are you talking about? I invited you and you gladly accepted my invitation. Oh! I see, you're such a kidder! This is why we are friends. 'Cause you're funny!"

"You're insane!"

"HA! That's what my daddy tells me! He always said, Maddie, stop being so crazy, you scare people.'"

"I thought he was dead."

"No, he's still here. He's the best scientist in the whole world. Better than that egotistical shit head Walter Bennett."

Maddie covered her mouth.

"Oopsie! I'm not supposed to say dirty words like that!"

Dawn realized that Maddie was completely insane and there was no getting through to her. It was starting to become clear as to why Maddie was insane and it may have been her fault.

"Oh my gosh!" Maddie said. "Where are my manners? I forgot to introduce you to the others."

"Others?"

"Them," Maddie said, holding her arms out to show the toys sitting at the table. "This is Princess Phoebe and this is Captain Max."

Maddie reached over and stood the picture frame up. It was a photograph of Tim. Maddie smiled at Dawn for what seemed like forever.

"You know who this is right?" Maddie said. "It's daddy! And he's home from work."

Maddie leaned in to the picture.

"Yes daddy, that is Dawn," Maddie said. "She's here to have tea with us if that's okay."

Maddie paused.

"He said it was okay. He thinks you're beautiful."

Dawn sat there and could do nothing but look on as Maddie spoke to a picture.

"So daddy, how was work?"

A pause.

"That's not fair! You deserve all the credit for your work. You are a better scientist than Walter."

Maddie turned to face Dawn and smiled.

"Let's have tea shall we."

Maddie poured tea for all of the guests. Dawn stared at Maddie with anger. Maddie returned a smile and then took a sip.

"Go ahead Dawn, take a sip," Maddie said.

Dawn now realized why her right arm was not restrained as well. She thought about the possibility of the tea being poisoned even though Maddie took a sip. Maybe the cup is, she thought. But it did not matter anymore. Dawn took a sip.

"Uh-uh," Maddie said, waving her finger. "Put your pinky up. You see what happens when you don't put your pinky up."

Maddie raised the arm of Princess Phoebe. Her pinky was cut off.

"You don't want that to happen to you," Maddie said with a sinister smile.

"Piss off," Dawn said as she drank the tea.

Making Maddie angry was not doing her any favors. Maddie just smiled, knowing in her mind she had a real friend.

"Now that was some good tea, let's have some more," Maddie said.

She poured the tea in each glass, not caring if the tea spilled over. She poured Dawn a cup and kept pouring, overflowing the gas until the pitcher was empty. The tea spilled everywhere.

"Everyone likes my tea," Maddie said, "But years ago, before the war, there was this girl that daddy brought home to play with me. She didn't like my tea. She didn't like me. She kept screaming about wanting to go home. You want to know what happened next?"

Maddie smiled.

"She tried to run away from me. She didn't want to play with me. I HATE IT WHEN NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH ME! HATE IT, HATE IT."

She slammed her fists on the table.

"I had to do it Dawn, I had to kill her."

Dawn looked at her with disgust.

"All I wanted for her was to be my friend. She never talked to me at school. I just wanted a friend."

"You're sick and you need a lot of help," Dawn said.

"No. I just want you to be my friend. I promise I'll be good to you. Daddy always brought me friends to play with. They all hated me, so they all had to die."

"What do you mean he brought them home?"

"He found them at school, in the park, and on the sidewalk. Daddy wanted me to have someone to play with. But no one liked me."

This was it, as if it was needed, a clear confirmation that Dawn Crenshaw was now sitting across from the most vile, insane person she has ever known.

"He kidnapped them," Dawn said.

"No silly, he found them."

"One day when I was little older, daddy found a boy my age. I really liked him. He was so cute. He had pretty eyes, pretty hair. I wanted to go to the dance with him. He was going to bring someone else, but I wanted him to bring me. We sat down to have tea, we talked and laughed. Or rather, I talked, I laughed. He just sat there with this frightening look on his face. Do you want to know what happened next?"

"I have an idea," Dawn said.

"He didn't want to take me to the dance. He wanted to go with a girl who was prettier than me. He didn't like me. HE DID NOT LIKE ME! HE HATED ME! HE DID NOT WANT TO TAKE ME TO THE DAMN DANCE!"

Maddie pounded the table with her fists. She took a few breaths and smiled at Dawn.

"So I killed him."

"It was you all along. The missing children. How come no one found out about you?" Dawn asked.

"Because, daddy buried them all. He always told me to stop killing everyone or someone will find out. But no one found out."

Maddie stared directly at her and smiled.

"Hey, Dawn," she said, "I was joking! Ha! Ha! I really had you going! I would never tie someone up and force them to be my friend. Well, except you. 'Cause I like you. But I did kill those who were mean to me. One day I snapped and decided to get revenge."

Dawn knew she was caught in a deadly trap and needed to let Maddie know how she felt. After all her life may be ending soon.

"Maddie, I want you to listen to me real good," she said.

"Yes."

"You need help okay. You need to wake up and get a glimpse of reality. You are clearly insane. The reason no one wants to play with you or be your friend is because you are a damn lunatic. This is why people hate you."

Maddie had a wicked look on her face.

"Your father was a lunatic. When you kidnap someone and try to force them into a friendship, they will hate you. Killing them does nothing for you. No one likes you, because you are a PSYCHO. IS THIS GETTING THROUGH TO THAT SICK MIND OF YOURS?"

Maddie began sobbing and put her hands over her face.

"Maddie, hear me loud and clear: YOU'RE PSYCHO! YOU'RE A MURDERER! YOU ARE FUCKING INSANE!"

Dawn took a few deep breaths. Even if Dawn's life was about to end, she made her point. Maddie turned her sobbing into laughing.

"You understand me now," Maddie said. "This is why I like you."

Dawn could not believe Maddie took that as a compliment.

"Well, you certainly are a deranged one," Dawn said.

Dawn was in disgust. Maddie drank the rest of the tea and then stood up and walked over to a cabinet. She took out a bottle of whiskey. Dawn looked at it like a lion seeing a piece of meat.

"I got something you want Dawn," she said in a taunting voice, "Something you desire."

She took the bottle and poured it into a small glass. She placed it in the center out of Dawn's reach. She tried to reach for it but the chain was not long enough.

"Give it to me damn it," Dawn demanded.

Maddie pushed the glass towards Dawn while smiling and giggling. When the glass got closer, Dawn grabbed it and drank it. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.

"Good, huh?" Maddie said.

Maddie poured another glass for her and Dawn drank it while Maddie laughed. She set the bottle down and walked over behind Dawn. She moved her hand across her neck and shoulders and began massaging her. Dawn was confused by her actions and it made her nervous on the inside.

"I told him not to kill Walter," Maddie said, "I cried and pleaded with him, but he tried it anyway. It's not your fault Dawn."

"Maddie, I did not kill him."

Maddie had a look of doubt on her face.

"I know I should have told my dad, but he treated me like a hero, and I guess i got caught up in it."

"Dawn," Maddie said, "I think I remember it too. After he called me, I called Black Mesa security and told him what he was about to do and...oh hell. I think it may have been them...I don't know."

Dawn could not believe what she heard. Maddie had a crazy way of getting someone to be her friend. Maddie sat on Dawn's lap and put her arms around her.

"Me and you can be BFF's," Maddie said, "I don't want revenge anymore. I want to be your friend and I want to play with you."

Maddie put her hand on Dawn's face and moved in closer to her, almost kissing. Dawn turned her head and Maddie giggled.

"I want you Dawn. You're perfect for me. Me and you could roam this hellhole and eradicate every scumbag we find. It will be so much fun."

Dawn knew in her mind Maddie was just crazy and did not know what to think about her.

"Why all this then?" Dawn asked. "Why stalk me and do this to me?"

"I was mad at you. I spent the last couple of years finding you. Daddy wanted you to be my friend. I wanted revenge for what you did. But now, after spending some quality time with you, I realize, you understand me and I understand you. Please Dawn, be my friend."

It had come to her attention that if Maddie were going to kill her, she would have started with the torturing effects long ago.

"I don't know what to think anymore," Dawn said. "I'm pretty pissed that you invaded my home and chained me up here."

Suddenly, Dawn began to have feelings for her and she didn't know what made that happen. Something attracted her towards Maddie. She stared deep into Maddie's eyes and an irresistible impulse began flowing through her veins. It was an attractiveness she could no longer control.

"Let me out of here," Dawn said.

Maddie got up and got the key off a nearby counter.

"Promise me you won't be mad," Maddie said.

"I promise."

Maddie unlocked and removed the chains. Dawn stood up and faced Maddie.

"I'm sorry," Maddie said.

Dawn watched Maddie toss the chains to the ground.

"There's something about you that's so fascinating," Dawn said.

Maddie came closer to her and they held hands. Right then, Dawn wanted her with a passion. Maddie smiled with delight. That was when Dawn felt loved. She had never been in love with another woman before. Then, a metal capsule burst through the window and quickly spread a knockout gas through the apartment. Dawn and Maddie stumbled around. Maddie fell unconscious first. Dawn did everything in her power to fight the gas, as her newfound love gave her the will power to fight on. She fell to the floor and crawled to the door. Suddenly the door was kicked open and three City Enforcement members walked in wearing gas masks. Dawn looked up. One of them looked down and grabbed Dawn by the hair. She tried to punch him, by she was too weak. The City Enforcement member struck her on the back of the head with a blackjack to knock her out. One of them got Maddie and carried her out of the building. The other one picked Dawn up and followed the other one outside. The last City Enforcement member stood there for a few seconds and walked out, closing the door behind them.

The two City Enforcement members placed Dawn and Maddie in the back of the van. One of them took off his mask. It was Barney. He stared at them and then felt Maddie's leg. He smiled. The other two took off their masks revealing Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin. Barney closed the doors. Then, they got in the van and drove in the direction of Ashgate.


	8. A Gun Free Safe Haven

**ACT 2: WELCOME TO GODFORSAKEN HELLHOLE**

 **Chapter 8: A Gun Free Safe Haven**

"Don't want to be here,

Somewhere I'd rather be,

But when I get there,

I might find that it's not for me."

–Iron Maiden, _A Different World_

Dawn stood alone in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by flowers of all colors. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. The world was a beautiful place. Her hair was longer, she was younger, and was wearing a long white dress. Dawn had a happy smile on her face. She smelled the flowers and took a breath of fresh air. She ran through the field and rolled around in the grass. There were no worries and no turmoil.

It was mid-morning when Dawn woke up from her dream and into this nightmare. She was lying in an alley on top of broken down cardboard boxes. She woke up and frantically looked around and then ran out of the alley. She saw a large sign which was connected to a large metal pole and there was nothing on it. She looked around the area and saw the sun shining on the wreckage, trash, and scrap metal. Every building nearby was run down, the streets were deteriorated, and it appeared no one was around. Dawn then realized that she had no weapons. She was only wearing a tank top, black jeans, and combat boots. She wondered down the street looking for any signs of life. Dawn took a moment to remember how she got here. She remembered that she and Maddie and a special moment together and the City Enforcement barged into the apartment. Dawn knew who it was. The one and only person who knew she was going after Maddie. Dawn needed to find her and she needed answers. But finding the answers required traveling through a labyrinth of paradoxes inside the sick psychotic mind that she possessed.

A she walked down the sidewalk, she could not stop thinking about Maddie. She began to understand why Maddie acted the way she did. Maddie was a lonely girl and all through her childhood she wanted a friend. It did not take long for Dawn to realize that they were very much alike. When Dawn walked around a corner, there was a village that looked like an old Wild West town. There was a general store, a blacksmith shop, abandoned dwellings, and saloon. She quickly ran inside the saloon. The place was abandoned. She immediately went behind the counter and frantically searched for a drink. There were nothing but empty whiskey and liquor bottles. She knocked them over. One bottle had a tiny drop inside and she drank the last morsel.

"NO!" She yelled out.

Dawn smashed a few bottles on the floor.

"NO!"

She let out a loud scream and then put her head down on the bar counter in frustration. She walked back outside with a feeling of hopelessness. She headed towards the general store in search of food, or more importantly, a drink. When she entered, she stared at the rows of empty shelves. Walking down the aisles, she saw that there was no food. Even in the coolers, which were no longer running, there was emptiness. Then, she noticed a pair of legs sticking out at the end of the row. She ran down the aisle and saw a dead body. It was an older man with a long gray beard. There were no wounds on him and it was uncertain how he met his demise. Dawn left him there.

She sat on a bench outside and knew exactly where she was. In Ashgate. This was now going to be a fight for survival. Dawn got up and walked towards an area with a large clock that had a blank TV screen underneath. There were more abandoned shops surrounding her and there was a large building behind her that had the doors boarded up. It would not be long before danger found her. Three men wearing leather trench coats and ragged jeans appeared behind her. They each had baseball bats. One of the men was bald, one had long blonde shaggy hair, and the other one had a short Mohawk. The bald man whistled and they quickly surrounded her. The bald man pointed his bat at her.

"You're in the wrong place lady," the bald man said, "Now there's no way out."

"You're getting buried," the shaggy hair man said.

Something told Dawn these guys were not the negotiating type. The Mohawk man tried to hit her from behind but she ducked and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him down. The shaggy hair man also tried to hit her with the bat. She is able to evade the swing, grab the bat, and kick him on the side of the head. The bald man takes a swing at her, but she blocks it with the bat. She quickly knocked him down with a sweep kick and put the bat to his throat.

"Who the hell are you?" She said.

"Screw you," he said.

Dawn walked back over to Mohawk haired man and used the end of the bat to knock him out. Then, she walked over to shaggy hair thug and kicked him in the face, knocking him out. She walked back over to bald man on the ground as he moved away.

"Where's Barney Calhoun?" She asked.

"He put us here. He put us all here," he said. "I don't know where he is."

She grabbed him by the collar and kneed him under the chin, knocking him out. She walked away from them, not caring if they were dead. Then, the TV screen came on revealing Barney Calhoun. He had a sinister smile and nodded in approval.

"You called me?" He said.

"Yeah you, asshole," Dawn said, pointing the bat at the screen, "Where are you? You sent someone to do your dirty work because you can't get the job done."

"I'm back at City 17. But that doesn't matter to you because you are in Ashgate. You should be lucky you are still alive."

"Why did you do it?"

"I did what I had to do. I had you go after those thugs, I gave you drinks, and I got rid of you because you are the only threat against my experiment. I read up on your past and I figured you would be perfect for my experiment. No one stands in my way."

"What experiment?" Dawn asked.

"I'm going to do what our former political leaders did not have the damn balls to do. I'm demonstrating the flaws in our society. I'm going to show every damn liberal out there that their belief system is flawed. And you Dawn, you get to be in the center of it all. No one is going to do a damn thing about it."

"I'll find your ass. I'm coming after you."

"Good luck with that. There is no escape from Ashgate. Try and you die."

"We'll see about that."

"I almost forgot, your little friend is loose somewhere in there as well. I used you to get to her. Two birds, one stone. I guess the little psycho likes you. I don't know why the hell she does though."

Dawn was relieved Maddie was here with her.

"Now Dawn, let me tell you about this place," Barney continued, "You should feel safe, you really should. Why you ask? Because in all of Ashgate there is not a single gun. That's right, no guns at all! They have all been banned. Do you feel safe? You should, because there will be no crime because there are no guns. You're in a safe haven. Oh wait, look at what just happened. Do you feel safe? I mean, you just laid them all out! You see Dawn, I finally get to demonstrate an experiment I have been wanting to do for almost twenty years."

Dawn was speechless and not in a good way.

"I have always wanted to see how a society would function without guns, just to show those candy ass liberals that no society is safe because you take away certain things. Well, Dawn, I guess I'll talk to you later. I have more to discuss with you. I hate to keep you from your gun free safe haven, so until next time."

The screen went blank. Dawn continued down the street into another alleyway and then back out to another street. Dawn took deep consideration into what he said and realized they thought in the same manner. Then, the feeling of hopelessness began to fade away as she thought about Maddie being somewhere in Ashgate. Dawn somewhat regretted telling her what she felt about her. She thought about the things she would say to her if they met again. Dawn then remembered that she needed to find food. She saw a village up ahead and walked towards it with the sun glaring on her.

She came across a chain-link fence and looked for an entrance. As soon as she saw the entrance, a man wearing a camo uniform ran toward the fence and brandished a large knife. Dawn did not budge.

"State your business," he said.

"I'm looking for someone, looking for food," she replied.

"Why should we trust you?"

Dawn moved closer to the fence.

"I'm not a mindless thug," she said.

"You don't look very friendly. You look like a killer."

"Look, I can get in one of two ways. One, you kindly let me in, or two I force my way in."

The man laughed.

"What makes you think you can force your way in here?" He said.

Dawn struck the fence with the bat.

"Fine, you want in, I'll let you in. But first, toss the bat."

She threw the bat away.

"Try anything and I'll make sure I kill you," he said.

"Right back at you," she replied.

He opened the door and she walked in. He closed the door and approached her while pointing the knife at her.

"Go see Leon, he'll show you around," he said.

He pointed towards a rundown hotel and Dawn walked towards it. Dawn found it odd that this place would allow a stranger to walk around. Either security was tight or they were planning something sinister. She walked right in the hotel. It appeared deserted. The inside had surprisingly been kept neat. The walls were in perfect shape, the desk was clean, and the floors were smooth. Then a man walked into the office area. He was wearing a brown duster, ragged blue jeans, a torn white shirt, and cowboy boots. He had brown spiky hair, was clean shaven, and a glass eye paired with a normal eye.

"You must be the new girl," he said. "I'm Leon the caretaker. Welcome to Ashgate. This is where every ruthless criminal comes to." Every sicko, rapist, murderer, and even petty thieves are all living among us. Ain't life great?"

"How did you know I was coming?" She asked.

"Clive, the gatekeeper, relayed the message. He's always like that. You can't trust everybody, but I guess he trusted you."

"Look, I just want food. I just arrived here."

"We got food over here."

He motioned for her to follow. She looked around the area and saw anti-Combine and anti-City Enforcement posters.

"So what are you in for?" He asked as they entered the dining area.

It took Dawn a moment to realize that she had not committed a crime and had no idea why she was there. Then, it came to her.

"I tried to make a difference, tried to end corruption. I guess that counts as a crime."

Leon poured her a glass of water and then placed a chicken sandwich on the table. She sat down and ate.

"As for me, they got me for protesting against that damn City Enforcement. Here I was thinking we got our freedom of expression back after the fall of the Combine."

Dawn paid no attention to him as she ate her sandwich and drank her water.

"Life moves forward and nothing changes," he continued.

"Hey, Leon, I know it may be asking a lot, but do you have any whiskey or liquor around?"

"No, we don't have the stuff. Everyone here does not drink anymore, so they don't deliver it to us. Just regular food supplies."

"I've been looking everywhere for some and I really need it. I'm going crazy."

"Well, they have it in the next section about half a mile from here. I wouldn't recommend going there. They make people fight over the stuff. The last guy that tried to fight has not come back yet. He's most likely dead. Since I like staying alive, I'll stay here."

"That's what I have to do. Fight."

"I suppose you could. You should rest up, we can do it tomorrow."

Dawn finished her sandwich and drink.

"How about we go and meet a few people?" he said.

They were out in the hallway were the rooms were. Being in a hallway full of rooms while following someone around reminded Dawn of being at Black Mesa. Leon knocked on one of the doors. A man answered. He was a bald man with dark skin and looked to be in good athletic shape.

"Sup Leon, who this?" He asked as he let them in.

There was a woman sitting at a table. She had long blonde hair, was skinny, had tattoos on her arms, and a nose piercing.

"Guys, meet Dawn," Leon said, "Dawn, this is Doreen and J.C."

J.C. tilted his head up as a greeting. Dawn did not do anything in return.

"What are you in for?" J.C. said.

"I'm a corruption fighter against the City Enforcement," she said.

"Yeah, the hell with the damn City Enforcement," J.C. replied.

"They got me on vandalism," Doreen said. "I exploded one of their vans. I don't regret a thing."

"She wants to fight for booze tomorrow," Leon said.

"You're crazy," J.C. said. "Why do you want to do something like that?"

"I need it. Besides, I can handle myself," she replied.

"It ain't worth risking your life for that," J.C. said, "I got my girl over here and she's everything to me."

"Thanks J.C.," Doreen said. "Dawn, you must have someone in your life."

"Not exactly," she said.

All right, let's head out. I want you to meet the others. We'll leave these two alone for now," Leon said.

Dawn followed him down a hallway.

"There are a lot of people around this area actually. Be nice to them and they will return the favor."

They came across a gym area. Inside was a muscular man punching and kicking a boxing bag.

"Hey Boone!" Leon shouted.

He stopped and turned around.

"Her name is Dawn," he said, pointing to her.

He wiped the sweat off his face and walked over to her and smiled.

"Nice to meet you Dawn," Boone said.

Dawn did not return a smile.

"Same here," she said.

"I'm Boone," he said.

"She wants to fight someone over in the next town," Leon said. "Maybe you can show here some stuff."

"I know how to fight," Dawn snapped back.

"Good," Boone said.

"We will bring you back around," Leon said.

As they left, Boone smiled at her, but Dawn ignored him. Despite the fact that he showed interest in her, Dawn still could not get Maddie off her mind. Something was alluring about her and the more she thought about it, the more it drove her mad.

"Hey, Leon, do you know about the woman who scales the rooftops of City 17? The woman with the face paint, laughs a lot?" She asked.

"Yeah, I remember her. I still hear stories about her. Real crazy woman."

Crazy indeed she thought as she cracked a smile.

They went upstairs and walked down another Hallway. Dawn saw more anti-City Enforcement posters.

"I'm going after City Enforcement," Dawn said.

"Right. We all want to go after them. But no one escapes here. People have tried, and they got caught in the traps. Look by the river, you'll see the bodies. Besides, you would have to fight past Allister and his gang of hooligans."

"Who's he?"

"He pretty much runs this place. You don't worry about City Enforcement here. It's Allister you need to be concerned about."

"I fought people like them before."

"I know. But this time, there is no escape. We're all here forever."

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," she replied.


	9. An Experience to Savor

**Chapter 9: An Experience to Savor**

As the sun began to descend, Maddie was inside of a clothing store. She had washed her face paint off and was now wearing a blue long sleeve t-shirt with a hood, black stretch pants, and her boots with the hidden knives. The clothing store had been nearly cleaned out. The windows were broken, clothes were scattered on the floor, and there appeared to be burn marks everywhere. She exited the place in her new attire through the broken window. She quickly climbed the clothing store, passing the big letters on the building which read 'RACHEL'S DISCOUNT.' She reached the rooftop and ran across the building and leaped on to another rooftop. After leaping across a few buildings, she made it to her newfound home on top of a diner. There was a table set up which had a tea set and a plate with crumbs on it. She sat down at the table and put her feet up. She giggled as she looked up at the evening sky. She poured herself a cup of tea. While drinking it, she thought about getting revenge on Barney for sending her here. Then she thought about Dawn, knowing she was loose somewhere. Her definite intentions were to find her at all costs.

As the night drew near, Maddie's first task was to find another weapon, preferably a nice sharp knife. There were very few street lights around and it was just the way she liked it. She investigated the area, looking for anyone roaming the area. Then, she heard commotion a few blocks away and ran across the rooftops towards the sound. As Maddie drew near to the sounds, she slowly approached the area. She looked down and saw two men, drinking booze and smoking cigars. Maddie used the darkness to hide herself as she descended down the building. Then she stood behind them.

"Hey boys," she said.

"What the hell?" One of them said.

"I just want a drink, is that okay?" She said.

"Yeah, come on."

One of the guys handed her a beer bottle. The other guy used a bottle opener to open it for her. She took a sip and moved between the two men and smiled.

"Never seen you before," the other guy said.

"I've never seen you before either," she replied.

One of the guys got closer to her.

"It's dangerous for a pretty lady like you to be out so late around these parts."

"I'm no stranger to danger," she said.

Maddie laughed. The guy began moving his fingers through her hair. She moved his arm away. The other guy put his arm around her and she turned away from him.

"Come back here lady," he said. "I'll show you a good time."

The guy walked behind her. Maddie turned around with an evil look on her face. The guy was startled and he backed away.

"Let's have fun then," Maddie said.

The other guy ran at her but Maddie smashed the beer bottle on his face, knocking him down. The other guy grabbed a wooden stick and ran at her. He swung at her, but she flipped over him and kicked him in the back when she landed. He dropped the stick as he stumbled down. Maddie took the stick and spun it around. She kicked the guy who she smashed the bottle on and then put the stick on the other guy's groin.

"Trying to have your way with me, huh?" Maddie said, taunting them. "Well now, I'm having my way with you."

The guy screamed in pain and Maddie laughed as she made the kill an experience to savor. She picked up a piece of broken glass and slowly walked towards him while he shivered. She sat on top of him and placed the broken glass on his throat. The other guy, who was bleeding from the broken bottle, heard the screams as Maddie finished him off. She quickly moved over to him and stood over him.

"You just had to do that," Maddie said.

She stepped on his throat. He held his neck and wiggled around. Then, a few seconds later, he stops. Maddie smiled and then laughed as the orgasmic feeling of killing began to flow through her veins.

"Damn that felt good."

She searched their bodies for any weapons they may have had but found nothing. She went back over to the brick wall. All she found was a pair of brass knuckles. During the fight, the sun completely descended and the full moon was bright. Maddie ran down the empty street and into a dark alley. When she reached the other end of the alley, she checked both ends of the street to see if anyone roamed the area. She kicked away empty beer bottles as she walked down the sidewalk. She picked up a beer bottle and threw it in the street, creating a loud sound. Maddie looked around to see if anyone around heard the noise. Then, she came across a large window which used to be a bakery. She saw her reflection in the window and felt her face. She moved the stick along the window and then broke it by kicking it. She let out a loud laugh. Then, she kicked a trash can, knocking it over. There was nothing inside. She picked it up and threw it inside the bakery. She began to laugh maniacally as she wondered aimlessly into the street. She began to kick a newspaper stand and then walked over to a broken down truck. She stood on top of it and yelled as loud as she could. Maddie began hitting the top of the truck with the stick.

A few moments later, she got what she bargained for. It was indeed danger in the form of five unruly psychopaths. There were three men and two women. The men were wearing leather vests and blue jeans along with biker boots. One woman had on a biker's jacket with leather pants and black boots. The other was wearing a white tank top and orange pants and had a bow and arrow. Maddie smiled at them as she put on her brass knuckles. The woman with the bow and arrow aimed the arrow at Maddie. The other woman lit the arrow, creating a fire on the tip. She fired the arrow and Maddie flipped off of the truck. The flame ignited the truck and it started a large fire. One man was wielding two tanto knives. He ran towards her and tried to cut her. Maddie instead used her boot knives to block his knives. Then, she used the stick to strike him in the face. When he fell down, she struck him in the groin with the stick. The woman shot another flaming arrow at her but Maddie caught it and threw it back. The two women moved as the arrow created a fire behind them. Maddie laughed. The two other men walked up to her and surrounded her. One of them had a chain and the other had a dagger. It was the kind of knife Maddie was looking for. She was ready to fight, twirling her stick around as the two men continued to circle her. She quickly struck the chain wielder in the face with the stick. The dagger man charged at her, but she did a backflip, quickly sprung forward, and kicked him in the stomach. The two women prepared another flaming arrow, but Maddie ran towards a building and disappeared into the darkness.

"Where'd the little bitch run off too?" Chains said.

Tanto stood up and picked up his tanto knives. He was still in pain.

"I'll kill her!" he shouted.

They looked around for her but she was nowhere to be found. Maddie laughed and everyone was startled.

"It's her, I knew it!" Dagger said.

She laughed again.

Suddenly, Maddie was behind the two women, barely visible. She quickly grabbed the woman in the biker jacket by the hair and pulled her back, driving the knee into her spine. She was killed instantly. Then, she quickly took the flaming arrow and stabbed the other woman in the chest. The flame was extinguished but was still smoking as the woman fell dead. The three men turned around and saw them on the ground.

"Damn it!" Chains yelled.

Maddie once again disappeared.

"Come out and fight you little bitch!" Dagger said.

Maddie suddenly appeared behind Dagger. She placed him in a chokehold. The other two turned around.

"Let him go and let's fight," Chains said.

"Fighting isn't really my thing," Maddie said, "Killing you slowly, an experience to savor."

"You sicko," Tanto said.

She continued to choke him until he passed out. She picked up the dagger. Chains tried to hit her with the chain but Maddie held out her stick. The chain wrapped around the stick as Tanto tried to stab her. Maddie was able to cut him on the arm with her boot knife. He screamed in pain. She then tried to cut Chains with her other boot knife in the throat but he blocked it. Maddie hit him with her brass knuckles and wrapped the chain around his throat.

"I want you to feel your life slowly fading away," Maddie whispered in his ear.

She laughed as Chains tried to break free.

"Help me!" He cried to Tanto.

Tanto was still in shock over the cut. Maddie dropped Chains to the ground. She saw Tanto, picked up her stick, and twirled it around.

"You have no idea how satisfying this is too me," Maddie said, "It's a drug, and I'm addicted."

Her words terrified him.

"I can sense your fear and I love it," she continued, "Your fear is my ecstasy."

Maddie let out an insane laugh as she ran at him swinging the stick. Tanto tried to block the stick with his knife. She put the end of the stick in his throat but Tanto was able to cut the stick in half. Maddie laughed as she took out her dagger. She lunged forward at him, trying to stab him but he grabbed her arm and swung her down. He was trembling with fear. Maddie laid on her side.

"Oh no," she pleaded, "Please don't kill me."

Tanto moved toward her as she crawled away. Then, Maddie used her boot knife to stab him in the leg. She laughed as he screamed in pain. She stabbed him again in the leg and he fell down. Maddie quickly sprung herself up and stood over him.

"Please, I'll go away," he pleaded. "You'll never see me again."

Maddie held him by the hair. She used the flat side of the knife to move it over his face. When she put the knife to his throat, he fell unconscious. Maddie could not tell if he passed out or if he died of fear. Either way, it was enough to fulfill her pleasure. She let him go and laughed. She saw Chains moving on the ground. Maddie quickly ran over, stood above him, and smiled. She sat on top of him. He tried to get free. She held the dagger over her head with both hands and stabbed him in the chest. She let out a loud moan as the pleasure began to overwhelm her. She got off of him and let the arousal flow through her, nearly blacking out. She picked up the tanto knife and climbed the nearest building. She stared at the moon and held her arms out, letting the orgasmic pleasure flow through her.

The morning sun shined through the window as Dawn slept. She gradually woke up. She looked outside and saw the view from the top floor. There was nothing but wreckage and waste ahead of her. In the distance, she saw what appeared to be another town. It was not any better than the rest of them. She walked out of the room and down the hallway. She heard voices coming from downstairs and headed in that direction. When she got down stairs, everyone was eating breakfast.

"Hey, Dawn," Leon said. "Come on and eat."

Dawn grabbed a plate of bacon, egg, and sausage. She also poured a glass of juice. She realized the quality of the food may have been terrible, but now was not the time to complain. She sat down across from Leon. J.C., Doreen, and Clive were all at the table.

"Did you sleep well?" Leon asked.

"Yeah. So what's that town across from here?" Dawn said.

"That place is run by Rex. He used to live over here but wanted to start his own settlement. He still comes by though. He loves to gamble, especially on fights."

"I fought some of their people," Clive said. "They think they can fight but they're easy to deal with."

"Are you still going to fight?" J.C. said.

"I am," Dawn replied confidently.

"After breakfast, I'll let them know," Leon said.

Boone walked into the dining area.

"Well, look who it is," Doreen said cheerfully.

Boone gathered his food and realized the bacon was gone.

"Who took all the bacon?" he said.

He saw that Dawn had some left. He smiled at her and she returned a half smile. She finished everything but the bacon. She moved the plate over to the empty space across from her and motioned her head for him to take the bacon. He sat down across from her.

"You sure?" he asked.

"I'm sure," Dawn said, smiling.

"Well, I'm going to go make some arrangements and leave these two alone," Leon said.

"Yeah, we got other things to do," J.C. said.

He made a kissing sound as he got up. Doreen laughed at the gesture. Everyone left, leaving Boone and Dawn alone.

"Thanks," he said. "I love this stuff you know. I have it every morning, well almost every morning. Sometimes the supplies they drop off are small."

"I'm not really big on it," she said. "But I knew you were."

He laughed. Dawn was beginning to like him as the two seemingly had a connection.

"This might be a stupid question, but how do you like it here?" he asked.

"Well, so far, it's better than a lot of the places I've seen."

"It is. No one really bothers us at all. But I train just in case we need to fight."

"So why are you in here?"

"Assault, grand theft auto, and burglary. Yeah, I know, a whole rap sheet. What about you?"

"Me, I'm just a subject of an experiment by Barney Calhoun."

"One of those huh? We get a lot of people like you around here. They are not even criminals, they just happen to fit in with the wrong crowd and have a bad attitude. That's why you're here."

"Yeah, he told me. He set me up for it. I did some work for him and suddenly, I ended up here."

Boone finished his breakfast and shoved the plate to the side. He leaned towards her as she spoke.

"So, I'm going after him," she continued. "I'm bringing him down."

"How do you plan on getting out of here?"

"I don't know."

"You could be like me, forget the whole thing, and accept this place."

"That's not how I am. I'm also looking for someone who's also here. Ever hear of Maddie?"

"Maddie? I hear stories. From what I hear, she's dangerous. Why are you looking for her?"

"I have questions without answers."

"You're a strange one, Dawn. I like it. You're dangerous, fearless, and tough. I like how you think."

Dawn smiled and Boone returned the gesture.


	10. A Bright and Sunny Day

**Chapter 10: A Bright and Sunny Day**

Dawn and Boone walked outside. She saw Leon and Clive talking with two people she had never seen before. He had large spiky hair, and wore a denim vest and blue jeans. He had spikes on his boots and a goatee. The other man he was with was wearing the same clothes, but was bulky and head shaven. Dawn and Boone approached them.

"Who's this?" The man said.

"This is Dawn, she wants to fight," Leon said.

"Is that right?"

"That's right," Dawn said. "I just want the booze, all of it."

"Fine, if, and I do mean, if you win, you get the booze. All of it."

"That's fair enough," Leon said.

"Listen, sweetheart, if you still have the guts to show up, meet us there after lunch and I'll have your opponent ready."

"Fine."

The two men left the area.

"Who was that?" Dawn asked Leon.

"That was Rex. I don't know who the other guy is."

"They may have gotten bigger," Boone said. "Who knows what kind of fighter they have for you."

"Whoever it is or whatever it is, I'm still going to fight."

"That's a bad addiction you have there," Leon said.

"And it needs to be fed," Dawn replied.

It was now mid-afternoon. Dawn along with Leon, Clive, Boone, J.C., and Doreen were outside Rex's settlement. There were six other residents from the hotel that Dawn had met earlier. They were brought along as backup. The gate opened and they walked in. The place looked like an old Italian village. Some of the buildings were neglected while others had been rebuilt. The roads seemed to be in better shape than most places. On some buildings, there was graffiti which read 'CASTE' and 'RESISTANCE.' There was a water canal with a few small boats floating in it below a small bridge. The residents there stared at the group as they made their way through. They saw Rex who was sitting on the steps of a large cage.

"What's that for?" Dawn asked.

"That's where you fight," Leon replied.

"In the cage?"

"Yeah. I mentioned it right? Did I?"

"I don't think you did," J.C. said.

"Oh, sorry about that Dawn," Leon apologetically said. "You fight in a cage. Don't worry, it's only one fight, one opponent."

Rex smiled at them as they approached.

"You showed," Rex said.

"Why would I not?" Dawn told him.

"So the rules are, no weapons except the cage and the ground, you win by knockout or submission only. And if anyone dies, so be it."

Dawn looked at the large cage ahead of her. Some parts looked clean and other parts looked rusty. There was no mat on the ground, just concrete.

"Are you ready?" Rex asked Dawn.

"I'm ready," she replied.

He motioned for her to get inside the cage. Dawn walked in and looked around. There was a lot of space around for dodging attacks. It was the way Dawn liked it. On the concrete, there were bloodstains. A large crowd gathered around outside.

"Good luck Dawn," Leon yelled.

"Yeah, you're gonna kick some ass!" J.C. shouted.

Boone put both hands on Dawn's face.

"Stay safe, all right," he said.

Dawn nodded. Then, a woman about her height and size walked in the cage. She had long curly black hair tied into a ponytail, had a slender frame, and numerous tattoos on her left arm. She was wearing orange pants and a black tank top along with combat boots. Her arms were small but muscular. She stared at Dawn trying to intimidate her. Little did the woman know, she would have to work hard to intimidate Dawn.

"What do you think of her?" Rex said. "You are about to tangle with one mean son of a bitch. She can break your bones like a twig, she'll have you screaming and begging for mercy. She's built like a rock and is addicted to giving out pain. Her name is Sunny. So let's fight!"

Sunny, how ironic Dawn thought to herself. The crowd began to cheer, mostly for Sunny. They began circling each other.

"So, someone else thinks they got what it takes to beat my ass," Sunny said. "No one beats my ass. You see the bloodstains? That's what happens when they step in the cage with me. I'm gonna decorate this place with your blood."

Sunny lunged forward, trying to kick Dawn in the face. She quickly punched Sunny in the face, but Sunny ran forward and used her shoulder to knock Dawn down. She quickly got up and tried to punch her again. Sunny blocked each shot and grabbed her arm and spun her around. Dawn was able to drop down and kick her in the face. Every shot Dawn threw seemingly had no effect on her. Sunny tried to punch and kick Dawn, but she evaded each attack. Sunny was able to back Dawn into the cage wall. She tried to punch her, but Dawn rolled out of the way. Her fist left a dent in the cage and she was unfazed.

Rex smiled as he watched them fight. Dawn knew what was at stake, but began to realize her life was also at stake. Neither Sunny nor Rex cared for Dawn's life. Rex wanted to see someone get hurt and Sunny wanted to maim whoever Rex sent in the cage with her. Here Dawn was, risking her life for something most people would not endanger their own lives for.

Sunny turned around with Dawn still crouching down. She lunged at Dawn and she jumped over her. Dawn delivered a few punches to her sides and rib area but Sunny struck Dawn with an elbow that sent her back. Sunny grimaced in pain. Dawn quickly came forward and threw kicks at her legs trying to slow her down. Instead, Sunny grabbed Dawn's throat and lifted her up with one hand. She squeezed her throat, but Dawn was able to knee her right under the chin. She then wrapped her legs around her neck and Sunny loosened the grip. Dawn flipped backward, throwing Sunny into the cage. She did not take the time to catch her breath as she ran over to her and began kicking her in the face and ribs. Then, Sunny grabbed her leg and swung her into the cage. She held her by the hair and punched Dawn in the face and then in the stomach. Sunny held Dawn in a front headlock and tried to lift her up to break her neck. Dawn held on to her and then lifted Sunny in the air. She slammed her down on the concrete, causing Sunny to finally feel something painful. Dawn got on top of her and began punching her in the face. Sunny started to bleed on the cheek and on the nose. Then, Sunny got her in a bear hug and they reverse positions. Sunny landed a hard punch to Dawn's face, causing Dawn to nearly fall unconscious.

"Time to end this!" Sunny said.

Boone was concerned as he saw Sunny drag Dawn to the center of the cage. The bloodthirsty crowd cheered loudly as they were about to witness a slaughter.

"Dawn wake up!" he shouted.

"Somethin' ain't right," J.C. said.

Rex smiled as he felt the fight coming to an end. Sunny stood over her and raised her arm in the air. Dawn was barely moving. Sunny placed her boot over Dawn's face and jumped in the air. As she came down, Dawn moved. Sunny stomped on the ground and injured her leg. Dawn hit her with a spin kick to the face, which sent Sunny to one knee. Dawn grabbed her by the hair and kneed her in the face and then kneed her right under the chin. Sunny was now on both knees. Dawn hit her with another knee under the chin. She let go of her and Sunny fell face first on the concrete. Dawn sat on top of her and was about to break her neck.

"Stop! Just Stop!" Rex shouted, "This fight is over okay. Dawn, you win. You're the winner."

The only ones cheering was Dawn's entourage. She walked out of the cage.

"Way to go Dawn!" Doreen said.

"Yeah that was a hell of a fight!" J.C. said.

"I got a little worried about you, but I knew you could do it," Leon said.

"Yeah, it looks like you can fight as good as you talk," Clive said.

Boone hugged Dawn.

"Damn, you sure know how to kick some ass!" He said.

Dawn turned to Rex.

"Where is it?" She asked him.

Rex opened a metal cooler. Inside were three twenty-four packs of beer.

"It's all yours," Rex said.

Dawn took a bottle and began to drink.

"I think we had enough fun here," Leon said.

During the evening, Dawn was sitting on her bed in her room drinking. Many beer bottle were on the desk and on the floor. She did not mind sharing her winnings with everyone else. Despite all the commotion that took place, Maddie was still on her mind. At some point, she would have to venture out into Ashgate and search for her. Boone knocked on the door, which was already open.

"I think you've had enough," he said.

Dawn finished the bottle.

"I'm serious," he continued.

He walked in and sat in a chair across from her.

"I love this stuff, you have no idea," she said. "After what I've been through, this helps a lot."

She got another bottle and offered it to him.

"What the hell," he said.

He opened the bottle and took a sip.

"So, where'd you learn to fight like that?" He asked. "That was some serious shit."

"After an incident from my teen years, I started to learn combat fighting. Then the war came and well, you have to know how to fight."

"I've been fighting my whole life, been fighting everyone, it never ends."

"I know what you mean."

Boone set his beer down on the desk.

"It's hell out here right? Not that City 17 is that much better," he said. "Look, Dawn, I have something I want to tell you okay. I really think you have the right to know."

Dawn was not paying attention to his words. The alcohol started to flow through her system and intoxicate her. All she saw was a blur of him and his words echoed in her brain.

"Boone, it's okay," Dawn muttered.

She grabbed his hand and ran her hand along Boone's arm. She giggled and Boone smiled.

"Nice," Dawn said.

Boone realized she was intoxicated.

"Dawn, listen to me," Boone said.

She ignored his words and stood up. She sat down on Boone and felt his face. Dawn moved her head around and giggled. She felt his chest and stomach.

"Real, real, nice," Dawn mumbled.

Boone stared at her and held her head. Dawn kissed him on the shoulder and then on the neck. Boone closed his eyes as he enjoyed the moment. Dawn closed her eyes and when she opened them, she saw Maddie smiling at her. She wrapped her arms around her and went in to kiss her but Boone reappeared. She kissed him on the lips and the two embraced the moment. Boone stood up, lifting Dawn up as well. He placed her on the bed as they continued to kiss. Boone got on top of her and kissed her neck. He took his shirt off and they continued to kiss. Dawn took her shirt off and wrapped her legs around him. Boone then unhooked her bra as they continued their blissful encounter.


	11. A Dance with the Devil

**Chapter 11: A Dance with the Devil**

In City 17, as the evening was giving way to the night, Barney, Lt. Malcolm, and Sgt. Franklin were in an alley. There was an older man wearing a blue jumpsuit lying against the wall. His face was bruised and bloody. Lt. Malcolm began kicking him in the stomach.

"So, what do you want to say to us?" Barney asked. "Are we not treating criminals with respect? Do you want us to give these assholes rights?"

Barney punched the man in the face.

"It looks like you got no other protester to back your ass up," Barney continued. "Damn liberal. Look at you, no one to hide behind, no sheep to agree with every damn word you say, no media to cry to. Do you just love the world we live in? After people like you created this mess and now you have to live in it."

"Please stop," the man pleaded.

Barney backed away. Sgt. Franklin picked the man up and dragged him back out to the street. He dropped him to the ground. The other City Enforcement members had either beaten or killed some of the liberal protesters that were in the area by the station. The man tried to crawl away.

"Come on idiot, go call the news reporters," Barney said. "This stupid cause is what you fight for, it's what you would die for. What a waste of a human life you are."

Barney shot him.

"Calhoun, what do you want to do with the rest of them?" Lt. Malcolm asked. "Kill or torture?"

"You know what Malcolm, I'm going to go home so I'll leave you in charge."

"Yes sir."

Barney got into his van and drove away. Sgt. Franklin clobbered a man in the knees who was in handcuffs. He stomped on him as Barney glanced in the rearview mirror.

When he got to his place, he had hired two strippers who were taking turns giving lap dances. They had been there for almost an hour. One woman was wearing a blue bikini and the other was wearing a pink bikini. Barney sat back and enjoyed the show. He touched her stomach and she danced around. Then, he felt the leg of the other stripper as she vied for his attention.

"Come here," he said to the blue bikini stripper.

He kissed her on the lips. The other stripper intervened and kissed Barney on the lips. Barney loved the fact that two women were thriving for him. He patted his lap and the two women sat on him.

"You girls know what I want now right?" He said.

Barney was now lying in bed. Both women had taken their clothes off. All three of them went under the covers.

Back at Ashgate, the night had completed its takeover of the evening sky. Maddie had set up her own place inside of the top floor of an abandoned apartment building. She made sure she was equipped and headed out for the night. With the full moon in the background, Maddie ran across the rooftops, observing the streets below. She stopped for a moment when she reached a tall building to gaze upon the scene of the city sized prison. There were a few street lights that were lit and some of the settlements, which were spread out had there lights on. It was a nice view, despite the vicious acts that took place below. Then, Maddie spotted a nightclub, which still had its neon lights blinking. She quickly scaled down the building, using the blown out portions of the glass windows to her advantage. As she got a closer look, she saw a small group of people outside. They looked like regular club goers. They acted as if there never was a war, and they were happy. Maddie, however, wanted a closer look. She scaled down, using the darkness as her cover. She got a closer look at the group and recognized a woman. She had long blonde hair, wore a tight black dress, heels, a queen's crown, and smoked a cigarette. She also recognized the man who had his arm around her. He had short black hair, was dressed in a purple silk shirt and black pants, a king's crown, and was bulky. The group went inside and locked the steel door behind them. Maddie smiled and quickly ran towards the nightclub. She approached the front entrance with the blinking neon lights flashing on her. The door was locked tight. Then, she went into the alley and tried side door, which was also locked. Next, she tried her favorite entrance, from the top. She saw the door of the roof entrance and found that it was also locked. Unlike the other doors, this one was made of wood. Maddie stepped back and kicked the door, which caused it to slightly budge from the lock. She stepped back again and kicked it and then kicked it again. This time the door came loose and she walked right in. She could hear the club music from below as she walked down the steps and descended to the club floor. The music got louder as she walked through the dark hallway. She peaked through the velvet curtain and saw a small group of people dancing. She also saw the woman and man she recognized earlier, sitting on a couch on the opposite side.

Instead of making her entrance through the curtain, she went around to another hallway and entered the club floor. The whole place was a mixture of blue and purple lights. The floor was shiny and the music was loud. It was unusual for her to be seen in a crowd of people, but since she was not wearing her face paint, she did not stand out which was good for this situation. She walked right through the small crowd of dancers, eyeing the woman and man ahead. As she got closer, the woman noticed her. She was startled. Then, Maddie suddenly disappeared within the crowd.

"Baby, what's wrong?" The man asked.

"I thought I saw someone I know," she said.

He looked at the dance floor.

"There's no one there honey," he said.

Then, Maddie appeared to the side of them. The woman screamed.

"It's her!" she yelled.

The crowd of dancers did not notice the scream due to the loud music.

"Yoo-hoo!" Maddie said. "Remember me?"

"Oh shit!" The man said.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in? This place is supposed to be secure from psychos like you," she said.

"Yeah, well nothing can keep me out," Maddie said.

"I should have known Creepy Maddie would be in a place like this," the woman said.

"And I should have known you two would end up in a place like this. It's been a long time hasn't it? You didn't even invite me to your little party. But no to worry, I invited myself."

"Cody, kick this psycho out!" The woman yelled.

Cody stood up but Maddie pointed the dagger at him.

"Sit back down and relax a little," Maddie said.

He sat back down as the woman started to shiver.

"You weren't invited Maddie, just like you never were invited to any of my parties," the woman said. "You're a damn psycho and you freak me out."

Maddie clapped her hands.

"Good!" she said.

Cody grabbed a bottle of vodka off the couch and began shaking a little.

"You never wanted to be my friend Jessica," Maddie said. "You were always to stuck up and full of yourself."

"It's better than being a maniac like you," Jessica said. "You're a murderer."

Maddie laughed and took a tequila shot off the table.

"So. They deserved it. All of them did."

"Yeah, and your father deserved it too," Jessica said.

Maddie dropped the shot glass and had a flashback of Jessica calling her Creepy Maddie from her school days. She also remembered when Jessica shoved her down in the hallway and laughed at her. Maddie threw the shot glass at her, breaking it on her face. She screamed in pain. Cody tried to throw the vodka bottle at her, but she caught it. She opened it and took a sip.

"Whoo! Wow! That's strong!" Maddie said.

She laughed and set the bottle on the table. Someone tried to sneak up on her from behind. He looked like a bouncer. Maddie saw him with the corner of her eye and stabbed him in the stomach. She shoved him down and laughed. Another bouncer ran at her but she pointed the knife at him. Cody escorted Jessica away from the area.

"Try me, tough guy," Maddie taunted.

She motioned for him to come closer. She swung the dagger around and he backed away. Maddie made a clucking sound. The club dancers took notice and they fled the area. The bouncer backed on to the dance floor. Maddie smiled and then laughed as she followed him. The music stopped playing. The bouncer got into a fighting stance. Maddie smiled.

"You want to fight huh?" Maddie said as she put her fists up.

She danced around like a boxer while laughing. The bouncer tried to punch her but she dodged each blow. She danced around and threw shadow punches at him. He tried to throw a hook at her, but she ducked and threw a few jabs and crosses at his stomach.

"I sting like a bee!" Maddie said.

She danced around as if she were Muhammed Ali.

"Come on chump," she said.

She was able to land a few punches to his face. She tripped him and started to hit him with a few elbows in the face. Maddie put him in a sleeper hold and began choking him while giggling. He started to fade away. Then, someone came up from behind, grabbed Maddie by the hair, and pulled her off. He was a club dancer who was there to defend the honor of Jessica and Cody. Maddie laughed as she rolled on the ground. She quickly got up and grabbed the guy by the hair and kneed him in the stomach. Then, she broke his neck. The bouncer crawled away. Maddie payed no attention to him as she headed back towards the couch and looked around for Jessica. Three more club dancers approached her. Maddie showed them her dagger while smiling and they ran off.

"Hey, Cody," she said, "Let the little tramp go and I promise I'll kill you quickly. Oh Jessica, come here Jessica. Do you want to play with me? Come on, let's be friends."

Maddie let out an insane laugh. She took another sip of vodka and laid down on the couch. Then, Cody came out with a metal baseball bat.

"Ooh, look who it is," Maddie said.

"I've always hated your damn guts," he said. "I regret nothing. I'm glad we made you so miserable."

Maddie laughed.

"Stop laughing you bitch!"

Maddie laughed louder. He tried to hit her with the bat but she quickly moved. She stood on the table. Cody swung at her but she jumped off, breaking the glass table.

"I miss those days when we used to make fun of you at school."

"Yeah, well now, I'm gonna do something about it."

Maddie swung the dagger at him and he backed away. He repeatedly swung the bat at her as Maddie easily avoided each swing. She was able to grab hold of the bat and use her boot knife to stab him in the leg. He screamed in pain as he went down. She grabbed the bat and tossed it away. Jessica came out from hiding and slowly and quietly grabbed the bat. Maddie kneeled down beside Cody and used her tanto blade to cut off the buttons on his shirt. She then cut off a small portion of his hair.

"Me and you could have been together," she said. "But you were always too mean to me. That's okay, there is someone else in my life who understands me. I guess it all worked out because I get the pleasure of killing you."

Jessica slowly approached Maddie, but she heard her heels hitting the floor. Maddie threw her dagger right at Jessica's shoulder and she immediately dropped the bat and fell down. She started shivering.

"Bullseye!" Maddie said.

Maddie took another sip of vodka. Then, she smashed the bottle over Cody's head, knocking him out. Jessica moved to the dancefloor, scared out of her mind.

"Looks like it's just me and you," Maddie said.

Jessica removed the dagger and trembled so much that she was unable to hold on to it. Maddie laughed at her.

"We got the dancefloor to ourselves," Maddie said. "I never got to go to a dance with anyone."

"Because you're a creep," Jessica said.

Maddie laughed as Jessica backed away.

"You're right, I'm too scary to be with normal people like you. I should be in a loony bin wearing a straightjacket."

Jessica fell to the ground and crawled on her side, trying to escape from the terror Maddie had been putting her through. Maddie slowly walked alongside her.

"The best part is that I love putting people through fear. I'm glad they are all afraid of me."

Maddie let out a loud laugh. Jessica had left a trail of blood across the dancefloor. Maddie picked her up by the hair and began dancing with her. Maddie laughed as Jessica trembled with fear.

"This is so nice," Maddie said, "We get our own dance. You see this time Creepy Maddie, is not at home in her straightjacket. She's at the dance. She's the life of the party. Everyone is happy."

Maddie put both hands on Jessica's face.

"Oh Jessica, calm down," she said.

Maddie took out the dagger and wiped the blood on Jessica's dress.

"I'm going to do to you what I do to everyone that is mean to me," she whispered.

Maddie stared deep into her eyes, feeding off Jessica's aura of fear. She placed the knife of Jessica's throat. Then, Jessica fell to the ground. The dagger was bloody again. Maddie did cartwheels back over to the couch and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. She took a few sips and admired her kill lying on the dancefloor. She felt better that she got rid of one of her sworn enemies. As Cody was regaining consciousness, Maddie smiled. She stood in front of him as he struggled to get up. Maddie clicked on her boot knife and sliced Cody until he fell down. Maddie laughed at yet another kill.


	12. Surge of Ecstacy

**Chapter 12: Surge of Ecstacy  
**

Morning had come. Dawn was still asleep as the sun rose. When she woke up, she saw Boone sleeping next to her. She reminisced about the night before and came to the conclusion that she was drunk when Boone came to her room. She got out of bed and looked out at the sunny landscape. Maddie is somewhere out there, she thought to herself. Boone began to wake up. He looked over at Dawn.

"Sleep good?" Boone asked.

Dawn turned to him.

"Yeah," she replied. "I don't remember a whole lot about last night."

"Me neither. But I remember it was a good night."

"Yeah, that I remember."

She sat down on the bed next to him.

"So Boone, do you go outside of this area a lot?"

"Nah, there's really no need to."

"So you stay here all day?"

"Well, I do go out sometimes. You gotta have a crew when you do, just in case."

"Look, I'm about to leave this area. I have to find Maddie and get some answers from her."

"Oh yeah, Maddie. It must be really important answers to go out into this hellhole to look for a psychotic lunatic like her."

Dawn though about what he said for a moment. She grasped the idea that she may have been as crazy as Maddie. But this was one of the reasons she wanted to find her.

"They are important. She's really been on my mind lately."

"Well, I hope you find what you are looking for in one peace."

"I want you to come with me."

Boone stared at her.

"Dawn, look, I can't," he said, "I can't go with you."

"Why?"

He stood up and looked out the window.

"Because you don't want to be around someone like me. I haven't told you everything about me. There is a reason why I am here and why I have been here for a long time."

"You already told me why you're here and I'm fine with that."

"No, Dawn. You see, I'm a murderer."

Dawn stared at him with a slight shock.

"I killed three people," he continued.

"Boone, the person I'm going after has killed people too. She's insane. You seem nice and normal."

"I'm not normal. I'm a murderer. I can't be around you, it's not safe for either of us."

"Come on, I can deal with it."

"No, you can't. A long time ago, I killed this woman all because I wanted her money. When I got her purse all I found was a few measly dollars. There was another woman I killed because I wanted her car. She screamed and screamed. I told her to stop but she kept screaming. So I snapped her neck. Then a few months later, I met this woman. She looked just like you. We lived out in the desert with this gang of thugs. One day, we were alone, we got into an argument. So I took a knife, stabbed her in the stomach, and slit her throat. When you showed up here I actually thought you were her. Maybe you'd come back from the dead to get revenge."

Dawn looked on in shock.

"I regret everything. I wish I could take it back," he said. "I turned myself in a few days after that. I deserve to be here."

Dawn walked over to him and put her arm around him.

"It must be hard on you to feel like that," she said.

"It is."

"Look, I'm sure, I guess, I don't know, but maybe you'll be forgiven for this."

"I think forgiveness no longer exists in this world."

"Well, you have my sympathy."

"Thanks Dawn."

Dawn was now outside walking towards the gate. Leon was right beside her.

"You know this is your home over here and you are always welcome," Leon said.

"Thanks, I'll remember that," she said.

"I would gladly allow someone to come with you, but they feel safer here."

"Yeah, I already tried to bring someone."

"Good luck Dawn."

She nodded at him and walked towards the open gate. She looked back and saw Boone. He waved to her and she waved back.

"Don't be a stranger," Clive said.

Dawn picked up the baseball bat and tapped the fence as she walked away. About an hour later, she was now standing in the middle of what used to be an outdoor mall. Like many other places in Ashgate, there was nothing but abandoned stores, restaurants, and homes. She decided to take a break in the shade near a dry water fountain in the center which had graffiti all over it. Dawn got out her flask and took a sip of her prized alcohol. She saw a clothing store with the name "RACHEL'S DISCOUNT in front of her and decided to investigate. Unknown to her, someone wearing a skull mask ran behind her.

When she was inside, she walked past all the clothing laid out on the floor. She took a sip of water from a nearby water fountain, which was surprisingly clean. She decided to change clothing by putting on a white t-shirt and blue jeans. She decided to keep her boots. The jeans were a little loose for her but at least they fit. There was no need for her to dig through the mess. Then, something caught her eye. It was a light blue dress, the same one Maddie was wearing. She ran out of the store.

"Maddie! Maddie! Where are you?" She shouted.

She looked up at the rooftops, hoping to see Maddie watching over her. She ran away from the store and out further into the open.

"Maddie!" She shouted again.

Suddenly, a large group of people wearing black clothing, some with hoodies and skull masks appeared behind her. They had lacrosse nets, hockey sticks, and baseball bats as weapons. Dawn turned around and saw the large group. They stared at her with bad intentions. As tough as Dawn was, she knew she stood no chance against them. She ran down the street and the group followed. She went past large and small buildings. The group was no match for her speed and they began to slow down. Then, a small group of the same gang appeared in front of her. She had nowhere to go as they backed her into the large steps of an old courthouse. One of them ran at her, but Dawn struck him in the ribs with her bat. One gang member tried to attack from behind, but Dawn hit him in the stomach with the end of the bat and then hit him on the back. A woman swung a hockey stick at her as Dawn evaded each shot. Dawn then blocked the next attack with her bat and kicked her down. More gang members ran toward her. She backed away and had her bat ready to strike. The gang surrounded her.

"I'm not going down until you kill me," Dawn said, "So who wants to be next?"

The leader who had a red painted skull on his mask came closer to her. The gang followed. Suddenly, a laugh was heard. The gang stopped.

"What the hell was that?" The leader said.

The laugh was heard again. Dawn knew exactly who it was and felt relieved.

"Sounds like that Maddie girl."

Sure enough, Maddie appeared behind the gang on the rooftop of a small building. She jumped onto a broken down car and the gang turned around. She held both of her knives out.

"It's her!" The leader shouted. "Kill them both! Kill them all!

Some gang members ran toward Maddie and some ran at Dawn. Both of them were still outnumbered but they would fight on anyway. Some gang members tried to climb on the car, but Maddie easily kicked them off. She grabbed one gang member and cut his arm. She flipped off the car and cut any gang member that approached her. Dawn used her bat to fend off all comers. The gang members were outmatched by Maddie's fighting skills. She would quickly kick, punch, and sometimes stab someone in a quick succession. Dawn moved down the stairs as she struck any gang member who dared to approach her. Maddie danced around and laughed as the mediocre gang tried desperately to do as they were ordered. The gang was nearly defeated. All who was left was their leader who backed down the long steps of the courthouse. He was ready to strike and frantically checked behind him as Maddie slowly approached. She giggled as she sensed the fear inside the leader.

"Let's finish this," Dawn said, "You're not so tough without your shit gang. Come on and fight me you coward."

He backed into Maddie who greeted him with a knife to the chest. He fell to the ground. Dawn and Maddie stared at each other. Maddie held her arms out.

"Welcome to….Godforsaken Hellhole!" Maddie said.

"Thank you," Dawn said. "I could not have done it without you."

Maddie smiled.

"I need some answers from you," Dawn said.

"Come and get 'em," Maddie replied.

She smiled and ran towards a building. She scaled the side and made it to the rooftop. Dawn went after her, stepping over the bodies as she ran down the steps and onto the street. Maddie moved quickly across the rooftops. Dawn followed along the street. She passed buildings that were similar to those in City 17. Maddie stopped onto top of a diner. She signaled for Dawn to climb up. She had to take the long route and climb the ladder. When she reached the top, Maddie was sitting at a round table that had a metal pitcher and two glasses on top of it. Maddie poured two glasses of water as Dawn approached her.

"Finally decided to join me," Maddie said.

"I guess you can say that."

Dawn sat down. Maddie took a sip of water, leaned forward, and smiled.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Maddie said.

"I need your help. How about we take down Barney and the City Enforcement together?"

"Yes, I will help you."

"So what made you change your mind about me?"

"I told you Dawn, I like you. I care for you."

This made Dawn ecstatic on the inside. It has been a while since someone cared for her. She drank the glass of water.

"One more question," Dawn said. "Why did you kill them? The children?"

"Because Dawn, they bullied me, they made fun of me. My life was a living hell because of them. They called me Creepy Maddie. They called me a weirdo. I hated it."

"That's no excuse to kill them."

"I guess it was wrong to do it. Oopsie."

Dawn let out a small laugh. She immediately put the serious look on her face.

"I know what it's like to be lonely," Dawn said. "I hate it too. I also hate bullies. I had a problem with them when I was in school. I wanted to kill them all."

"Now you're getting it!"

Dawn took another sip of water.

"I was right, you are a psycho," Dawn said.

Maddie nodded.

"You are insane."

Maddie nodded again.

"I love every minute of it," Maddie said.

Dawn smiled at her and Maddie returned the favor. Maddie laughed. Dawn leaned closer to her.

"Maddie, I want to play with you," Dawn said.

Maddie smiled.

"I want to be your friend, okay," she continued.

Maddie put her leg on Dawn's lap and stroked her pigtails.

"But Dawn, we already are playing together," Maddie said.

Dawn smiled and felt Maddie's leg. Maddie giggled.

"Are ready to take out every scumbag we can find?" Maddie said.

"Yeah."

"I know where we can find some. Me and you together."

Dawn stood up and so did Maddie.

"Ever since I got here, you've been on my mind," Dawn said. "I have no idea why. No idea why someone who's crazy in the head like you are would be stuck in my head."

Maddie moved closer to her.

"I know why. It's because deep down in your mind, you truly care about me," Maddie said.

Maddie held Dawn's hands and their faces came close together.

"I do care," Dawn said.

Dawn smiled and put her hands on Maddie's face. She stared Maddie in the eyes and then put her forehead on her forehead. Maddie put her arms around Dawn and the two shared a quick kiss on the lips. They both smiled and kissed again, this time locking lips. The feeling Dawn felt was pure bliss. Maddie felt a surge of ecstasy running through her. They stopped kissing and then started again. Maddie made a soft moan as the pleasure she felt overwhelmed her. This caused Maddie to lose control of her balance. Dawn held onto her and then they both fell to their knees. Dawn took off her shirt and Maddie did the same.

"Come here!" Dawn said.

She held Maddie and was now on top of her as the two continued to kiss. Dawn never would have imagined that she would be falling for a complete psychopath who twice had her tied to a chair and threatened to kill her. Likewise, Maddie never thought she would have fallen for the same woman who she wanted revenge on for many years. But this was what Tim wanted, for Dawn to be with Maddie. Now in a strange way, Tim's dream was now fulfilled. Maddie had Dawn. And Dawn had Maddie.

The two women laid on the rooftop, holding hands, as the sun began to set. They were trying to catch their breath. Dawn rolled on her side and kissed Maddie on the cheek.

"That was incredible," Dawn said.

"You don't know how long I've waited for that," Maddie said. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to you a few days ago. Sorry for the way I acted."

"I can't blame you at all. You're a damn psycho."

They both laughed.

"So is it true? Do you really enjoy killing? Do you feel pure bliss when you do it?" Dawn asked.

Maddie stroked Dawn's hair and then held her face.

"Yes!" Maddie firmly stated. "It's a great feeling for me. Have you ever felt that way?"

"No, and I don't think I want to."

"Then maybe I should do all the killing."

Maddie kissed Dawn. She rose up and watched the sunset. Maddie rose up but kept her eyes on Dawn.

"I used to do this all the time," Dawn said. "Watching sunsets, before and after the war. I'm glad you're here with me."

Maddie felt Dawn's face and put her head on her shoulder. She gazed at the sunset. The two were now putting their shirts back on.

"So Maddie, did you find a good place to eat yet?" Dawn asked.

Maddie chuckled.

"We're over it," she said.

They were sitting at a table inside the diner below. The diner was ransacked by every thug in Ashgate but somehow still had enough food. Dawn was eating a turkey sandwich and drinking water while Maddie was eating steak burger with her favorite cup of tea. Dawn tried to drink from her flask but it was empty.

"Damn it!" Dawn said. "I'm out."

Maddie chuckled.

"I know where we can get some," Maddie said.

"Where?"

"There's a bar a few miles from here."

"Good, I'll go crazy if I can't get a drink."

"Crazy like me?"

"Crazier. Full blown psychopath."

Maddie laughed.

"The bar is full of thugs. Nice people if you ignore them," Maddie said.

They finished eating and exited the diner. Dawn went through the door while Maddie decided to exit through the broken glass. They walked down the street toward the slums. Maddie had somehow spent her time exploring the place and clearly knew more about it than Dawn.

"I hope more of these lowlifes come out from hiding," Maddie said.

"We'll be ready."

"We are being watched. We are on camera."

Dawn looked around for a security camera.

"They are hidden, but they can see us," Maddie said.

"Who is?"

"Barney and his goons. They like watching us fight and kill each other for their enjoyment. I say we give them a show. Blood and guts everywhere, that's what they want."

"This is his experiment he told me about," Dawn said.

"Experiment?"

"Yeah, you and me are pawns in his game of survival. That's what this is."

"I am not a pawn. I'm nobody's game piece. He thinks he can control me? Nobody controls me!"

Dawn put her arm around her.

"I know you're not," she said to her.

The sun started to go down. They saw a bright blaze in an alley and then heard someone howling. They looked at each other and smiled. An older man walked out of the alley. He had long ragged gray hair and his clothes were torn and dirty.

"Hello ladies," he said. "It looks like I have a few more bodies to dispose of."

The two laughed. Maddie ran at him and kicked him down. She began stepping on him in the ribs and then in the face. Dawn took her bat and shoved the end into his stomach.

"What bodies are you talking about?" She asked him.

"Every scumbag in here that's who," he said in pain.

"We're taking over now."

Dawn struck him with the bat and began beating him. Maddie joined in and began kicking him as she laughed.

The two women noticed an old apartment building and went inside. The inside had not been subjected to the harsh decay like on the outside. One of the doors was open and they entered. Dawn turned on the light and checked to see if anyone was inside. No one had occupied the place. They checked the apartment for any signs of danger or any other unpleasant beings, living or dead. The apartment had defects on the walls and carpet, the kitchen was burned, and there was a couch and a mattress in the living room. The place had running water.

"It looks like this place is up for grabs," Dawn said.

Maddie locked the door.

"It's all to ourselves," she said.

Dawn sat down on the couch. Maddie looked through the cupboards and found two glasses. She got water for herself and Dawn. Maddie sat right next to her as Dawn drank the water in one gulp.

"So, Maddie, how did you learn to fight so well?" Dawn asked.

"I learned when I was a little girl. When everyone made fun of me and called me names, I decided to work on getting revenge. Daddy wanted me to get revenge. I trained almost every day, in almost every fighting style there was. I also learned parkour and free running so I could be up high while everyone was down low. I can spy on people and they would never know."

Dawn put her arm around Maddie and she did the same to her. They put their heads together.

"As for me, I've been fighting my whole life as well," Dawn said. "I used to get into fights at school. Some people just piss me off, so I would smash their faces until they bled."

Maddie laughed.

"I like combat, it really lets off some steam. It's good for you," Dawn continued.

Maddie put her leg around Dawn's leg.

"So let me ask you, why did your dad never get you help?"

"Well, he after he found out what I did, he understood it," Maddie stated, "He did not want me to go to Stonebridge Heights because he did not want to lose me, he did not want to be lonely. He helped train me so I could rid the world of bad people."

Maddie looked at Dawn.

"Look, I know he went too far with you and I wish that didn't happen."

"It's all right," Dawn said.

"But we are together now right? And we are going to play together right?"

"That's right."

"This is what he truly wanted, for us to be friends and now here we are."

"Maddie, I'm here with you not because he wanted it, I'm with you because I want to be. I have some kind of special attraction towards you that I can't explain."

They looked each other in the eyes. Dawn stroked Maddie's hair and the two shared a kiss as they fell back on the couch.


	13. Under the Watchful Eyes

**Chapter 13: Under the Watchful Eyes**

Dawn slept as the morning sun rose. She eventually woke up and realized Maddie was not inside. She looked around the apartment but there was no sign of Maddie. She looked out of the window and saw an old mansion in the distance. It looked dark and gloomy, despite the sunshine. She opened the sliding door and stepped on the balcony. She loved stepping out to get a feel of the morning atmosphere. The breeze, the sunshine, and the way the air felt were something she did not experience to0 much in the past few years.

Maddie was in the process of running across the rooftops wearing a backpack. Down below were three men chasing her. Maddie had a smirk on her face as she dashed across the rooftops. She decided to take a small break by simply walking to the edge of the next building. The three men saw her and she waved to them. She ran over the other edge and scaled another building by way of the staircase. The three men ran up the staircase hoping to meet Maddie. When they reached the top, there was no sign of her. Then, one of them spotted Maddie down on the street. She waved and smiled at them. Then she ran as quickly as she could. She ran towards the apartment building and saw Dawn on the balcony. She quickly scaled the building by using the other balconies until she reached Dawn.

"There you are," Dawn said.

Even after all the running and climbing, she was not breathing heavy at all.

"I guess you're not a morning person," she said as she took of the backpack.

"Not really. What's in the bag?"

Maddie pulled out a large paper bag and opened it. Inside were two large sausage biscuits, two cartons of orange juice and one bottle of whiskey.

"Hungry?" Maddie said.

Dawn grabbed the whiskey bottle and took a sip. Maddie sat down on the balcony and began eating.

"Where'd you get all this?" Dawn asked.

"From an old fast food place about two blocks from here."

Dawn sat across from Maddie and began eating.

"I stole it from these dimwits."

"That explains it. Thank you, but you didn't have to risk your own life for this."

"I didn't, I risked theirs."

Dawn smiled at her and Maddie giggled.

"So what's that mansion over there? It looks like some kind of mysterious supervillain lives there."

"That's Allister's place. He runs a pretty big gang, kind of like an army. I don't know what he looks like, but I hear its dangerous territory."

"Maybe we'll pay him a visit."

Maddie giggled.

Back at the City Enforcement station, Barney was looking through the security tapes of Ashgate. He saw numerous gangs fighting each other, acts of vandalism, and more importantly, videos of Dawn. He watched her travel through the streets, fighting Sunny, fighting gang members, and meeting Maddie. He watched as the two fought the skull masked gang. All these acts of rampaging violence brought a smile to Barney's face. He watched as the two walked and talked. He ran his finger across Dawn on the TV screen. As he was relaxing back in his chair, he saw the two kiss and leaned in closer. The look on his face went from shock and surprise to delightfulness and enjoyment. He paused the screen while Dawn and Maddie were in lip lock. He touched the screen with his fingers.

After they had finished eating, Maddie was staring at Allister's mansion while Dawn was inside on the couch drinking her whiskey. Maddie put the point of her dagger right in the center of the mansion, as if she knew Allister was inside. Maddie walked back in the apartment and sat next to Dawn.

"This is great that we can just walk on in here and stay the night," Dawn said. "I guess we got lucky."

She watched as Dawn kept drinking. Maddie stroked Dawn's hair and kissed her on the cheek. Dawn set the bottle on the floor and the two kissed each other. Dawn was on top of Maddie as they hugged and kissed.

"Dawn, can we just stay here all day and make love?" Maddie asked.

"Sure, I don't want to do anything else."

And that's exactly what they did. They stayed there, until the evening, using their time to rest and make love. Maddie stared at Allister's mansion, which became gloomier as the sun went down. Dawn was passed out on the couch; her whiskey bottle was almost gone. Maddie walked back in and sat down next to Dawn. She wanted to kill due to the fact that she was in an area surrounded mostly by people who deserved to be killed anyway. Dawn woke up. She was still lightheaded.

"Dawn, let's go somewhere and wreak havoc," Maddie said.

"Hang on," Dawn mumbled, "I'm a little wasted here."

Dawn stood up and tried to pick up her shirt but fell down. Maddie laughed. As Dawn attempted to put on her shirt, Maddie laughed again. She got on sleeve in and tried to stick her head through the arm hole. Maddie fell to her knees laughing at her. Dawn took off the shirt and Maddie stood up.

"Dawn, you're so funny!" She said. "You crack me up."

Maddie took her shirt and slipped it over Dawn. The shirt wrapped around her but Dawn did not put her arms through the holes. Maddie chuckled. Dawn got one arm through and stumbled around. Maddie held on to her as she almost ran into the wall.

"Come on Dawn, one more to go," Maddie said, laughing.

Dawn got her other arm through the hole and Maddie clapped.

"Yay! You did it!" She said excitedly.

"Let's go kick someone's ass," Dawn mumbled.

They walked down the hallway towards the stairs. They walked down the street, passing the slums and wreckage. The two eventually made it to the old decaying fast food restaurant where Maddie got the breakfast from. As Dawn's vision was starting to get clearer, she noticed a few dead bodies on the floor, on the counter, and one nailed to a wall. The bodies looked as if they had been there for a long time.

"What the hell happened here?" Dawn said.

"They wouldn't serve me, Dawn," Maddie said with anger, "I hate it when people ignore me."

Maddie smiled.

"But I handled it like a true civilized human being," Maddie happily said, "I had a talk with them and they agreed to serve me. We laughed and laughed and now, I get to come here when I want and get what I want."

Dawn looked around and saw more bodies in the kitchen. Maddie took it upon herself to make burgers. What was Dawn doing with this psycho? Why was she here with her? Dawn already knew the answers to her own questions. She sat down at the counter far away from the dead body as possible. Maddie gave Dawn a drink of water. Before she drank it, she checked the water and it was purified and clean. Maddie also gave Dawn a burger. She stayed on the opposite side of the counter and sat on a wooden stool.

"I love these burgers," Maddie said, "They're the best."

"Maddie, every day you turn more and more insane," Dawn said. "And somehow I enjoy it."

Maddie chuckled. The two ate their burgers and left the fast food place. Right outside were the three men Maddie was running from earlier. One of them threw a flaming bottle at them. They moved in opposite directions. One of them charged at Dawn with a metal stick. Dawn moved and struck him in the stomach with her bat. Another guy tried to punch Maddie with a pair of spiked knuckles. Maddie dodged each shot by moving side to side and tilting back. Maddie grabbed his arm and kicked him on the side of the head. The two guys were knocked out, leaving one guy left. He tried to throw another flaming bottle at them but Dawn flung her bat at him, knocking the bottle away. She ran towards him and hit him with a series of punches. As he was against the wall, Dawn held him by the throat and punched him while Maddie laughed.

"This is our territory asshole," Dawn yelled, "Don't forget that!"

She kneed him in the groin and let go of him. The two stomped on him until he was unconscious. They left the area.

When night came, Barney was at home sitting on his couch. He opened a plastic case and took out a DVD. He put it in the player which was sitting on his coffee table and pressed play. As he drank his beer, he laid back and watched as Dawn and Maddie were together performing intercourse on the rooftop. He smiled. Barney and the City Enforcement had many hidden cameras throughout Ashgate that recorded numerous people, but this one was definitely his favorite. As the soft moans were made, Barney's smile and eyes became wider. The two women would never escape his watchful eyes and he would be sure of that.

Back at Ashgate, Dawn was sleeping on the mattress in the apartment. Maddie was awake and lying next to her. She stared at Dawn as she held her arm. She stroked her hair and took a deep satisfying breath then fell asleep.

A few hours later, someone was pounding on the walls. Dawn and Maddie woke up.

"What was that?" Dawn asked.

The pounding got louder and eventually reached their door. Someone was trying to get in. Dawn motioned for Maddie to be quiet and grabbed her bat. Maddie grabbed her two knives and waited. Dawn saw the door move as she prepared herself for whoever it was. Then, the pounding stopped and then started again on another door. A loud yell was heard throughout the halls which sounded like a war cry. Maddie got up and went out on the back porch. She saw a group of people in black cloaks marching down the street. Some of them were carrying torches. She ran back inside.

"Dawn, it's them, Allister's gang," she said.

Dawn listened for the sounds coming from the hallway but everything suddenly fell silent. Then, someone broke down the door. The person was in a black cloak and had on a leather hood with only eye holes. He yelled out a war cry and swung an ax around. Maddie ran up to him and stabbed him in the chest. He dropped to the ground. They quickly got dressed.

"We need to get out of here now!" Dawn said.

"Let's kill them all," Maddie said. "I don't care how many there are."

"No, we need a plan of attack, we can't take them on like this."

Maddie was disappointed but trusted Dawn's advice.

"Okay, we can climb to the top," Maddie said.

She ran back out on the porch and quickly climbed towards the roof. Dawn ran outside and used the fire escape to ascend to the roof. She was still dazed from the whiskey and was not moving as fast as she wanted to move. Maddie was already at the top. Allister's gang was inside the apartment and burned the place. Dawn made it to the rooftop.

"Finally!" Maddie said.

"Damn it! Why the hell did they do that?" Dawn asked.

She slammed her bat on the roof and took a few deep breaths.

"That's the way they are," Maddie stated, "They want people to fear them so they send a message. They only attack at night."

"I'm going to kill that asshole."

"We'll do it then, together."

Maddie smiled at her. Then, three members of Allister's gang approached the rooftop. They each had leather hoods along with the black cloak. One of them had a torch, one had an ax, and the other had a sledgehammer. Maddie took out both of her knives and Dawn readied herself with the bat. The gang surrounded them. Dawn and Maddie stood back to back. Maddie had a wicked smile on her face and Dawn had a serious look on her. The gang member with the torch swung it around. Dawn could feel the heat from the fire. The gang member with the ax started to come forward but stepped back. Dawn swung her bat at the torch but the gang member moved back. The one with the sledgehammer tapped it on the roof. Maddie decided it was time to act. She threw the tanto knife at the sledgehammer wielder but it was caught and thrown to the ground. The one with the ax came forward and swung the ax at them. They backed away near the torch. Dawn tried to hit the torch, but it was strong enough to block the shots. The ax wielder tried to strike Maddie but she moved to the side and used her leg to trap his arms. She jumped in the air and kicked the ax wielder in the face who stumbled back. Dawn faked a bat swing and instead used the end to strike the torch wielder in the stomach. She struck him on the back and began hitting him. The sledgehammer wielder quickly ran forward and swung the sledgehammer at her. She backed away and tried to strike with the bat but it was blocked. Dawn was able to deliver a kick to his kneecaps and then struck him in the face with the bat, knocking him out. Maddie delivered a series of kicks to the ax wielder and then used her boot knife to slice him. He fell to his knees holding his throat. The torch wielder backed up near the rooftops and the two women moved closer.

"Boo!" Maddie yelled.

The torch wielder stumbled back and fell off the building.

"We need to go now!" Dawn said.

They ran to the opposite edge of the building. Maddie leaped across the rooftops. Dawn stopped. Maddie ran to the center of the next building and waited for Dawn. The gap was a small one. Dawn took a deep breath and jumped across. She landed on the other building and rolled on the ground.

"It's fun, huh?" Maddie said.

She helped her up and the two ran across the rooftop and jumped across to the next building. Behind them, were three more members of Allister's gang. They quickly moved across the buildings like ninjas. They were dressed in black jumpsuits along with their leather hoods. Dawn and Maddie made it across another building, but the gang members closed in on them. This was certainly not Dawn's specialty as she struggled to make it across. Although Maddie would likely outrun them, she would not leave Dawn behind.

"Let's stay and fight them," Maddie said.

"Fine," Dawn replied.

The ninja like gang members made it on the roof they were on and surrounded them. Once again, Dawn and Maddie were back to back, ready to fight. One ninja took out a sword, another took out a pair of nunchakus, and the last one took out a shuriken. Maddie smiled as they circled around them. The ninja with the sword, ran towards Dawn and tried to cut her but Dawn blocked each shot with her bat. She tried to strike him with the bat but the ninja blocked the shots. The ninja with the nunchakus showed off his skills by twirling his weapon around. Maddie laughed at him as he approached her. The ninja swung his nunchakus at her but she moved back while smiling. Maddie tried to cut him with her knives but he flipped out of the way. The ninja with the shuriken, threw one at Dawn but she ducked. He quickly grabbed another one as the sword ninja tried to slice Dawn again. She blocked the sword with her bat and kicked him in the stomach, sending him down. She began kicking him but he rolled out of the way. The ninja with the shuriken threw another one at her but Dawn caught it and threw it back at him, striking him in the neck. He fell to the ground, holding his neck. The ninja with the nunchakus threw a combination of kicks and nunchakus strikes at Maddie but to no avail. She caught his leg and stabbed him, causing him to scream. She threw him to the ground. The ninjas apparently had enough as they formed together and jumped off the building.

"Damn! What the hell was that?" Dawn asked.

"Allister must have heard about us, so he sent his goons to kill us. We need to find him and end this."

"Yeah, we can do that tomorrow."

"Come on, I know a place around here, where no one will find us."


	14. Deep Down the Sick Twisted Sadistic Soul

**Chapter 14: Deep Down the Sick Twisted Psychotic Soul**

Dawn and Maddie had spent the last hours of the night inside of an old bank. The made in through a roof hatch and slept on the carpet behind the front counter. The money, bearer bonds, and nearly everything in the safety deposit boxes were cleaned out years ago. Dawn woke up and stretched while looking at the sun poking through the boarded up windows. Earlier in the night, she heard Allister's gang running out in the streets. Maddie had picked the perfect hiding spot because no one tried to break in the bank. She looked back at Maddie, who was still asleep. She walked around the ruins of the bank, stepping over wads of cash that was left behind. She peaked out of a small hole between two metal flat bars and saw the empty streets ahead. Maddie woke up and walked over to Dawn. She put her arm around her.

"I bet you really want a drink," Maddie said. "I know a place not too far from here."

"You seem to know a lot of places."

They were outside walking in the middle of the street arm in arm passing abandoned and demolished buildings.

"What if they come back?" Dawn asked.

"Oh they will, but not until it gets dark. We can hide from them again, or we can kill them all."

Dawn immediately knew what Maddie wanted.

"We also need to escape this hellhole," Dawn said. "We need to find Barney and finish him off."

"Patience, Dawn. I would love vengeance against him, but we need a strategy to escape."

"Like what?"

"Well, we need to get past Allister's gang. They block an escape route near the river. The only other way is to go in the way we came, and we will have to cross a bridge full of snipers and somehow get past City Enforcement."

"How do you know all this again?"

"I watch and I see, I hear and I listen, I spy and I find."

"You're a sneaky one."

Maddie laughed. They passed an old restaurant. It looked as if used to be expensive and fancy. They walked in. The place was ransacked, the tables were turned over, and there was a black skeleton sitting at a table. Dawn could not comprehend if it was real or if it was someone's idea of a sick joke. Maddie walked over to it and leaned into it. She did not care if it was real or not and giggled.

"Hello there," she said to the skeleton.

"Hey there Dawn, come and join me," she said, while holding the skull and moving its jaw. "I got plenty of prime ribs for ya! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

Dawn smiled as Maddie was having fun. She walked into the kitchen.

"Let's see what this place has," Maddie said.

Dawn sat down at the table and heard the frying sounds from the kitchen. She realized that deep down inside the sick twisted psychotic soul that Maddie had, there was someone inside with a kind, good heart. A few minutes later, Maddie emerged from the kitchen holding a large plate which had two steaks and two glasses of champagne. She set the large plate down and they ate their meal. Maddie spent most of the time cuddling with Dawn.

"Thank you again, Maddie."

"No thank you, Dawn. Thank you for understanding me and being a friend to me."

Dawn drank the rest of the champagne.

"Hey, did you ever fall for someone? Like have a boyfriend?" Maddie asked.

Dawn set her glass down and thought about Kurt and the times they had together.

"Yeah, a long time ago. We broke up. It's over," Dawn said with sadness.

She put her arm around Maddie.

"We did everything together, even during and after the war," Dawn continued. "Then, I screwed things up. I became violent, depressed, and I hated everything around me. So he left."

Maddie kissed Dawn on the cheek.

"But all that, doesn't matter anymore," Dawn continued. "I have you. You're crazy, violent, and psychotic. Just the way I like it. Just exactly what it takes to survive in the Godforsaken Hellhole."

"Don't forget Dawn, you're just like me and that's why I like you. I don't want you to change. Being normal is so boring. In order to survive, you have be crazy."

The two shared a kiss.

They were now walking down an empty road with nothing surrounding them except dirt, dried out shrubs, and skeletons. There was a bar a half a mile in front of them. It was located before a small village. In the far background was Allister's mansion.

"Look over there," Maddie said, "It's a bar. Yum! Yum!"

Dawn's eyes gleamed as she hurried towards the bar. Maddie hummed as she skipped around her. She twirled around and waved to a pile of skeletons on the side of the road.

They entered the bar through a saloon door. The place was empty. There were tables that were turned over, broken bottles on the floor, and a shelf full of beer, liquor, and whiskey. Maddie smiled as Dawn entered. She poured herself a glass of whiskey as Maddie laughed. She poured Maddie a glass. Maddie sat on the counter with her legs crossed and drank the whiskey.

"Good, huh?" Maddie said.

Dawn was too busy drinking a bottle of liquor to answer her. Maddie laughed and got off the counter. She found a bottle of vodka and poured some into a glass. She gave it to Dawn who immediately drank it. Maddie laughed. She grabbed the whiskey bottle and showed it to Dawn. She tried to reach for it, but Maddie pulled it away.

"Give it to me," Dawn said.

Maddie giggled.

"Open your mouth,' Maddie said.

Dawn opened her mouth and Maddie held her by the hair as she poured the whiskey into her mouth. Dawn drank a small amount of it before she pulled back. Maddie laughed and then drank a sip of whiskey.

"You're crazy, Dawn," Maddie said, "So crazy!"

She grabbed the vodka.

"Let's see how much you can drink of this stuff," she said.

Dawn was starting to get drunk and could barely stand up straight. It did not matter to her anymore. She grabbed the bottle and took a sip. She took another and fell to her knees. Maddie fell down to, laughing. Dawn heard nothing but an echo from Maddie's laughter. She attempted to take another sip, but the alcohol got to her. She was passed out on the floor and the vodka spilled out. Maddie slapped her on the cheek a few times and stood up.

"You need to go to an AA meeting," she said.

She sat on the counter and poured herself a glass of liquor. As soon as she took a sip, trouble emerged. Five outlaws had entered the bar. They were four guys and one woman. The guys were dressed in leather vests, leather pants, and spiked boots. The woman was wearing a tight leather dress and a pair of tall heeled boots.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" One of them asked. "That shit belongs to us!"

"What does it look like?" Maddie said, "I'm drinking your liquor, asshole."

"Yeah, well you're gonna pay for breaking in here."

"Oh no! Please don't kill me."

"That's too bad."

The gang spread out over the bar. Maddie smiled as she slipped on her brass knuckles.

"You idiots don't know who you're about to go to war with," Maddie firmly stated.

"Yeah, I do. A little girl, who happened to stumble in the wrong place all by herself. Before the war I killed a girl just like you. She screamed for her life as I chased her down and gutted her. Now you will scream for your life."

"You killed someone before?"

Maddie was not impressed as she held her arms out and put them back down.

"I killed many people before," the leader said, "But I'll give you a chance, cry for your life, and we may let you live."

The man and the rest of the gang laughed. They came closer to her and Maddie began to cry while putting her hands on her face. The gang stopped as the leader smiled with satisfaction. Maddie's cry then turned into a loud laughter as she removed her hands. She had an evil grin on her face as her laugh turned into an evil laughter. The gang looked confused.

"Who wants to get killed first?" Maddie said.

A man ran towards her with a hammer, but Maddie punched him in the face, knocking him down. She got off the counter and kicked over a table. The gang was ready to attack.

"You got it all wrong," Maddie coldly stated, "It is you who will scream and beg for your life. I love it when they beg."

One gang member ran at her, but she grabbed his arm, twisted it, and broke it. He screamed until Maddie broke his neck. She felt a rush of gratification. Then, the next guy who dared to face her approached her with a wooden stick. He swung it at her, but she easily dodged each swing. Maddie laughed at his attempts to hit her. She grabbed the stick and broke it in half by kicking it. She began hitting him with the broken stick as he shielded himself. He fell to the ground bleeding from the head. She looked over at the woman.

"Come on sweetie, I'll be gentle," she whispered.

The woman chose not to advance. The leader took out a machete decided to test his skill against her. She took out her dagger.

"This is a knife!" Maddie joked.

She attempted to stab him but he moved back. He swung the machete at her and instead got it stuck in the wooden counter. As he tried to get it out, Maddie kicked him in the ribs while laughing. He was able to grab her leg and throw her down. Maddie continued laughing as he tried to stomp on her.

"Die bitch!" He shouted.

Maddie rolled away from him and was on one knee. When he got closer, she used her boot knife to stab him in the leg. He screamed in pain. She got up and kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. As she walked towards him, the woman tried to stab her with a combat knife but Maddie grabbed her arm. She waved her finger at her and was able to wrestle her arm back to where the knife was pointed at her neck. The woman was nervous.

"Ah, fear," Maddie said, "I love it when I see it in someone's drug abusing eyes."

Maddie kneed her in the stomach and smashed her face against the wall. She immediately fell to the ground. Dawn regained consciousness and started to stand up. The first man that approached her was face down on the ground. She kicked him over and stomped on his face, killing him instantly. Maddie laughed as she looked at the other gang member who was bleeding from the head.

"La, la, la, la," she sang.

Maddie picked him up and held him against the counter and looked him in the eye.

"So many ways to suffer, so many ways to kill," Maddie happily stated.

She kneed him in the groin and he fell to the ground as Maddie laughed. She stabbed him in the chest with the combat knife and watched as he fell over dead. She turned to the leader of the gang and smiled. He was still on the ground, bleeding from the leg. He backed away as Maddie jumped on the counter.

"Well, look what we have here," Maddie said, "Another wretched lowlife who thought he was going to kill a little girl like me. I could end your life with a snap, but I always kill in the slowest, painful way possible."

"You sick bitch," he said.

"That's right," she continued, "You should have left me alone, but now I will cut you open and let you feel the pain. I'll torment you until you begin twitching and then, that's when you beg for your life. After I feel the orgasmic rush of pleasure flowing through me like a pulsating stream, I will end your pathetic life."

She jumped down from the counter and slowly walked towards the leader who was shivering. She had her combat knife in hand.

"I can sense your fear," she whispered in a taunting voice.

He tried to get up but fell back down again. Maddie laughed as she stood on his leg.

"Stop please," he said, "I'll give you anything you want."

"Anything?"

"Yeah."

"How about...your head."

Maddie laughed as she stood over him.

"Did you ever wonder how your blood tastes? I guess I'll find out when I drink it from your head."

She pinned him down. Dawn heard a loud scream and Maddie laughing. Dawn stumbled out from behind the counter and walked towards Maddie who was sitting on top of the leader. In her blurry vision, she saw Maddie holding his head in the air. Maddie stood up and saw Dawn.

"Dawn, you missed all the fun," she said.

"What happened here?" She mumbled.

"They all had to die."

Dawn saw that Maddie had blood around her mouth, neck, and on her clothes.

"You got blood on you," Dawn said.

"I know, it's not mine," Maddie said.

Maddie laughed. Dawn had realized that Maddie had completely snapped. She was glad Maddie was on her side. Dawn grabbed Maddie by the arm and took her back to the sink behind the counter. She ran the water and washed the blood off her face and neck. Before leaving, Dawn took one more sip of whiskey.

They were walking down the street in the village. Dawn left her bat back at the bar, but did not realize it. Maddie had been silent since leaving the bar. Dawn stumbled around and walked into a street light pole. She fell to the ground and Maddie laughed. She helped Dawn up, but she fell back down again, crashing into a pile of trash. Maddie laughed louder. She once again helped Dawn up.

Maddie held Dawn's hand as they walked in the middle of the street. The alcohol in Dawn's system began to wear off and she regained her balance. Dawn saw a City Enforcement poster that read: "PROTECTING THE LIVES AND WELL-BEING OF THE CITIZENS OF CITY 17." She knew it was propaganda to poison the minds of citizens.

"What bullshit," Dawn said.

Maddie saw the poster.

"I knew they were bad the first moment I saw them," Dawn continued, "They think they can control the citizens like the Combine did."

"And do you remember what we did to the Combine?" Maddie asked.

"We killed them."

"Exactly. And we will kill again."

Maddie laughed and Dawn smiled. As they continued down the street, they saw a gang up ahead and hid behind a large truck. There were only four in a round-a-bout section. The gang appeared to be part of the same ones who were in the bar. They monitored the gang's activities. Three of them left the area, leaving one of them standing in the middle of the road.

"Let's take them out," Dawn said.

Dawn made her move towards him and Maddie followed closely behind. Maddie giggled as Dawn approached him. As soon as she got close, Dawn kicked him in the leg and as he was falling back, she elbowed him in the face, knocking him out. Maddie laughed and then cheered.

"Good one!" Maddie shouted.

She clapped her hands. They went in the direction of the other three members. There was another one, walking alone on the sidewalk. Dawn and Maddie smiled at each other.

"Go get 'em," Maddie whispered.

Dawn silently moved towards him. When she got close, Dawn placed him in a chokehold and squeezed as hard as she could. Maddie looked him in the face with her evil grin. Then, Dawn let go of the hold. The man gasped for air. Dawn held him by the hair and struck him with a knee right under the chin, not knowing if it knocked him out or killed him. Maddie cheered and clapped.

"You Dawn are a violent one," Maddie said.

Then a gang member approached them. He was twirling around a metal stick.

"What the hell did you do?" He asked. "Come and try that shit on me!"

"As you wish," Dawn said.

Maddie laid down on her side on a nearby bench and smiled.

"Who's this psycho looking girl, huh?" He said.

Maddie waved her finger at him. Dawn ignored him and was ready to fight. The man swung the stick at Dawn a few times but she was able to twist and turn away. He tried to swing again but Dawn caught the stick and trapped it under her arm. She head butted him and grabbed the stick as he stumbled back. She used the stick to beat on him a few times until he fell down. Then, she stomped on his stomach. Dawn moved back and then kicked him directly in the face. He was no longer moving. Maddie blew a kiss to Dawn. They saw the last gang member in the distance and quietly ran towards him. They hid behind a corner. The man was walking towards them. He had a combat knife with him. As he came close to the corner, Dawn surprised him by striking him in the face with the stick. She began beating him until he was no longer moving. Maddie laughed and then cheered.

"We're having so much fun together," Maddie said.

"We need to get out of here, before more of them show up."

Then, the gang appeared in large numbers on a hill to the side of them.

"As in right now," Dawn said.

"Follow me."

They ran as fast as they could towards the larger buildings as the gang ran towards them. Maddie had ran out further than Dawn. As they came closer to the larger buildings, Maddie immediately scaled towards the rooftops by using the corner. Dawn used a nearby ladder and joined her on the roof. The gang spread out over the area, in search of them.

"Okay, there are two ways out of this, fight, or run on the rooftops," Dawn said. "It looks like there are too many of them to fight."

"Then we used the rooftops," Maddie suggested. "We'll kill if we have to."

"Yeah, good plan. We really are having fun together."

They smiled and laughed. Maddie peaked down to the street and saw that the gang members were rummaging the area. There was no way to get down without being spotted.

"We are in luck though," Maddie said, "The gaps between the buildings are smaller. Even you should have no trouble crossing them."

"Good."

"Well, let's go. Try and keep quiet as you move."

Maddie leaped across to the next building and Dawn followed. They scurried to the edge of the next building. Maddie looked down and saw that the gang members were not scouring the alleyways.

"Good news," Maddie said, "If you fall, no one will be around."

"That's good to know."

Maddie giggled. She leaped across to the next building with Dawn closely behind. They continued across the rooftops and saw that the gang activity was wearing thin. Then, they heard someone climbing the ladder. A gang member had decided to get a better view. He walked to the edge of the building and gazed across the village. Dawn and Maddie were able to hide behind an air vent.

"Let's get him," Maddie said.

"Okay, but be quiet about it."

Maddie quietly approached the gang member and placed him in a chokehold. She squeezed his neck until he was no longer moving. She let go of him and got out her dagger. As she attempted to stab him, Dawn grabbed her arm. Maddie looked up at her and Dawn shook her head. Maddie chuckled. A while later, as the sun began to descend, Dawn and Maddie were clear of the gang. They both agreed that going to street level at this point would still be dangerous. While Dawn looked down at the street, Maddie spotted Allister's mansion, which was not too far from them.

"Hey Dawn, look," Maddie said, pointing to Allister's mansion. "There's only one way to get through."

"That's why they are not around here," Dawn said. "We're about to enter hell."

"I thought we were already there."

"No, it's going to get worse."


	15. A Crazy Psycho to Downright Insane

**Chapter 15: A Crazy Psycho to Downright Insane**

They were walking down the path behind the buildings as the sun was nearly down. Dawn had her metal stick ready and Maddie had her knives ready. The path ended and turned into a dirt road which led into a forest. They could see Allister's mansion in the distance. Maddie began to giggle.

"Come on out Allister," she whispered, "Time to play with me."

Sometimes, Dawn would be scared of Maddie's actions. Her heart would beat faster when Maddie went into her psychotic modes. It was good she was on her side. Maddie had lapses of being sympathetic and psychotic. Sometimes she would go from a crazy psycho to downright insane. As they walked, they came across a black skeleton. Dawn remembered one from the restaurant earlier and knew right away Allister's gang was involved. Maddie kicked the skeleton, breaking it into pieces.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Maddie shouted. "We're ready for you."

It was if Maddie had a death wish. Taunting this gang was not too smart.

"Maddie, keep quiet," Dawn said, "Do you want them to ambush us?"

Maddie looked at Dawn with evil eyes. She put her hands on her face.

"Dawn, they know we are here," she whispered, "They are waiting for us to come closer."

"Then I say we run for the mansion. Forget this damn gang, only kill if you have to."

"Let's go."

They ran down the dirt path and entered the forest. They passed dead bodies and skeletons along the way. If Allister's gang knew they were there, they were certainly not making their grand entrance. Then, they heard the war cry, the same one from the apartment building. They stopped, looked around, and continued running. Suddenly, a muscular man with a Mohawk and war paint, ran out in front of them and swung a wooden club at them. Dawn grabbed it and struck him in the face with the metal stick. Then he grabbed the stick and smiled at Dawn. Maddie tried to stab him, but he grabbed her throat and lifted her up. He also picked up Dawn and was now holding both of them up. Maddie laughed, despite being held by the throat and used her boot knife to cut the man in the face. He let both of them go. When they got up, he was gone. They continued down the path until more of Allister's gang members surrounded them. Dawn and Maddie were back to back, ready to fight. Dawn tried to figure out how many of them there were, but realized it did not matter, they were outnumbered. One gang member ran at Maddie, but she delivered a kick to his head, knocking him out. Dawn used her stick to strike a gang member in the stomach and then kneed him face to knock him out. Maddie tripped a gang member and as soon as he fell down, she stabbed him in the chest. One of them tried to kick her when she was down, but she caught his leg and took him down. She quickly got up and stomped on his head. A gang member ran at Dawn and tried to punch her. She grabbed his arm and broke his neck. Dawn was able to kick a gang member in the knees and then kick him in the face. Two gang members surrounded Maddie. She smiled and then they ran at her. She kicked one of them in the stomach and using the same leg, kneed the other one in the stomach. She grabbed them by their leather hoods and smashed their heads together. Maddie laughed. Dawn punched a gang member as she held him against a tree. After she let go of him, the gang members retreated.

"Aww, come back here and play with me," Maddie said, "I'm not done with you."

The evening sky had come as they ran down the path. They exited the forest and finally reached the gate of Allister's mansion. The gate was pure black with spikes on the top and two demonic creatures on top of the posts. Dawn looked at them concerned and Maddie smiled at them.

"They can see us," Maddie whispered, "The monsters can see us."

"What are you talking about?" Dawn said.

"Their eyes, they light up. Watch."

Sure enough, the eyes on the demonic statues turned into an evil red glow. Maddie smiled while Dawn looked on nervously.

"I see you too," Maddie said to the statues, "You should be afraid of us."

In the distance, a dark shadowy figure stood on top of the mansion. The dark figure raised what appeared to be a staff with a large spike ball at the end.

"There he is," Maddie whispered, "Allister."

"How do you know?"

"I know. And deep down inside his wretched demonic soul, he has fear."

Maddie starred right into the red eyes of one of the statues. Then, the gate opened. Dawn walked right in. Maddie climbed the post where the demonic statue was and patted it on the head. She jumped down and joined Dawn as the two walked towards Allister's mansion. A loud strange laugh was heard. It was clearly Allister, but it was unknown to them whether it was welcoming or if it was to invite them into the next circle of hell. The loud strange laugh was heard again as they made it to the large steps. The mansion was dark and eerie. Then, the doors opened. Dawn looked up and saw Allister.

"Look, Allister, we just want to go back to City 17," Dawn said.

"Come on in," Allister said, "I want to talk to you."

Dawn and Maddie entered the mansion. Dawn figured, if he wanted them dead, he would have sent his gang to attack them again. But since they walked right up to the place, he must have wanted them alive, for now. They were in almost complete darkness. Then, a parallel candle light began to appear in front of them, forming a path that led to a large set of double doors. The doors opened to reveal a well-lit room. There was a large chandelier hanging above, two large staircases, a ledge that circled around the top, and posters of the Combine, Resistance, and Black Mesa. Allister's gang surrounded them. Some were on the ledge, staircase, and right at floor level. They all stood straight as Allister made his appearance on the ledge in front of them. He was wearing a black cloak with a hood. They could not see his face too well.

"Welcome," he said, "You know, you two have been a major annoyance ever since you came in here. This place is mine. All mine, no matter what anyone has told you."

"Look, Allister, we need to get through," Dawn said.

"Why is that? You want to head back to City 17, for what? That place is no better than here. That place is corrupt, because it is run by corrupt beings. You were captured and brought here for a reason, to survive, and you did just that. You fought my gang and survived. I'm impressed by your efforts."

"Listen to me, I have a score to settle with someone," Dawn said.

"Revenge is it? You want revenge," Allister said, "I was sent here by the same man and I am not seeking revenge."

"He doesn't have the right to do what he does."

"True. But that should not matter to you. Join us. Join my Army of the Night, and help us conquer this entire city. Together we can end the corrupt and vile ways that surrounds us."

Maddie had an angry look on her face. Dawn shook her head at the nonsense that was spewing out of his mouth.

"If there is anyone in this Godforsaken Hellhole that is corrupt, it's you," Dawn said, "You think you can control people, you're no better off than Barney Calhoun. No one controls me. Not him, and especially not you. Understand me?"

"I see," Allister said, "I must say I am disappointed in you. With both of your skills for eradicating criminals, you really are putting great talent to waste. All of this for a petty game of revenge."

Allister held his arms out and his gang moved closer to them. The three ninja gang members were at the top of the steps standing next to Allister.

"You're going to regret this day," Allister said.

"No, you are," Dawn coldly replied.

Allister pointed at Dawn and Maddie and the gang began to attack. Dawn blocked a punch and flipped him over. Dawn snapped his arm like a twig and then stepped on his face. Maddie used her knives to stab the first oncoming gang member that dared to face her. She grabbed the arm of another gang member and used her boot knife to cut his throat. Dawn used her stick and struck the knees of one gang member. She used her elbow to strike him on the side of the face. He fell face down on the hardwood floor. Allister looked on, still hiding his face underneath his hood. The ninjas stood straight. Maddie sliced one of them in the stomach with her boot knife. He dropped to his knees and she broke his neck. The gang surrounded them, as they stood back to back in the center of the room. The gang tried every possible way to attack them, But Dawn and Maddie fought them off. Some of them were knocked unconscious, and some met their demise. Allister held his arms up.

"Stop!" He yelled.

The gang backed away.

"So, you two refuse to die," he continued, "Very well. I'll have to send in the elite squad."

"It doesn't have to end this way," Dawn shouted, "Let us through."

"You're wrong. It does have to end this way. You see, vengeance is what you are here for, so vengeance is what you will get."

Allister and his band of ninjas exited through the door at the top of the steps. The remnants of the gang surrounded them, preventing Dawn and Maddie from following Allister.

"You lowlifes better stand down," Maddie said, "Unless you want to die in the most horrible, sickening way possible. I'm thinking of the many ways I can kill each of you. The hardest part is deciding the method in which you will die."

The gang began to back away. Dawn and Maddie moved up the steps with the gang close by.

"Come on," Maddie continued, "Who wants me to hold their decapitated head. Maybe you'll still be able see your headless body twitching. The horror you will witness will be my ultimate gratification. Come on, I'll decapitate every one of you."

The gang backed away. Dawn and Maddie walked up the stairs. Dawn looked at Maddie and smiled. Dawn felt a mix of nervousness and excitement. Maddie smiled back and then looked at the gang below. She began to laugh.

"I was really looking forward to killing you all," she said, "Oh well."

They walked through the door which led to a room with a set of stairs that went up in a square pattern. Allister and his ninjas had somehow made it to the top very quickly. Dawn ran up the stairs. Maddie decided to ascend by climbing and jumping up and across the railings. She moved so quickly and with ease. It suddenly came to Dawn that this was how Allister and his ninjas made it to the top. When Dawn finally made it to the top, Maddie was waiting by the door that led to the roof.

The night had completely taken over. A full moon was in the sky which made the mansion more daunting than it already was. Dawn and Maddie walked around on the roof. Dawn gazed over the metal railing with spikes and saw City 17 in the distance. There was a staircase that led back down to the back of the mansion. Before they could walk over there, the ninjas appeared. One ninja immediately threw a pair shurikens at Dawn. She was able to deflect them with the metal stick. The nunchaku ninja tried to strike Maddie, but she evaded the strikes. She tried to stab him with the knives, but he quickly backed away while she laughed at him. The sword ninja began to attack Dawn. She blocked each shot with the stick and was able to strike him in the face and then kick him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. Dawn went in for the kill, but the shuriken ninja began to throw more of the stars at her. Dawn dodged each of them. Maddie quickly moved as the nunchaku ninja tried to strike her. She attempted to use her boot knife to slice him, but he quickly moved back.

"You're getting scared now," she said, taunting him.

The ninja shook his head and tried a flying kick at Maddie. She moved away and was able to grab his throat as he turned around. Maddie began to laugh as she took out her dagger and held the point right in front of him.

"I can feel you shivering," she said.

The ninja was able to break away. Dawn ran at the shuriken ninja, but he jumped off the building. Dawn was confused by his action. The sword ninja tried to stab Dawn, but she grabbed his arm and drove the sword into his leg. Dawn struck him with the metal stick and knocked him out. The nunchaku ninja backed away from an evil smiling Maddie and into Dawn. She held his arms as Maddie pointed the dagger at him. Right before stabbing him, Allister appeared behind them, holding a double sided ax.

"Halt!" He yelled, "Your lives will come to an end."

He took off his hood to reveal his face. He was a pale bald man with red circular scars on his head and had a dark complexion around his eyes. His eyes were blue and there was a small black hole below his neck. Because of the paleness, his veins were slightly more visible.

"Now I know," Dawn said, "You used to be one of them."

"Who?" Maddie asked.

"A Combine soldier. That's what they look like underneath the mask."

"Exactly," Allister confirmed, "When they enslaved the human race, I voluntarily joined them. They transformed me to make me an elite solider. We will once again gain full control of this world. You could have been a part of this glory, Dawn. Just like all my soldiers."

"So that's what you wanted to do to us," Dawn said, "Turn us into you. Enslave us. The Combine reign is over, Allister."

"The resurrection begins now."

Allister twirled his ax around. The two ninjas surrounded them as Allister moved closer. He swung his ax at them and struck the ground. Dawn tried to kick him, but he blocked it and threw her to the ground. Maddie tried to come to her defense but the two ninjas prevented her from interfering. Maddie smiled and was ready to fight both of them. Allister tried to hit Dawn with the ax, but she rolled out of the way. She quickly got up and attempted to strike him with the metal stick. This was easily blocked by Allister. She tried to strike him multiple times, but he was able to block and dodge each shot. Dawn feigned a strike and then kicked Allister in the back of the leg, knocking him down. She got on top of him and began punching him. Suddenly, Dawn was struck in the arm with a shuriken, she fell back and looked at the small wound on her arm. Allister got up and the shuriken ninja came back to fight. Maddie was kicking and punching the two ninjas that surrounded her. The two ninjas could not land an effective blow. As Dawn tried to get up, the shuriken ninja walked behind her and placed her in a chokehold.

"Finish it," Allister commanded.

Dawn used the metal stick to strike him in the groin. She struck him in the face a few times with her elbow and the metal stick. While he was dazed, she grabbed him by the cloak and threw him off the mansion.

"Damn you," Allister whispered.

Maddie was able to kick the nunchaku ninja to the ground. She quickly stomped on his stomach and then focused on the sword ninja. He attempted to slice her, but Maddie backed away. He tried to slice her again, but she did a cartwheel and then knocked him down with a sweep kick. She used her dagger to finish him off. Maddie turned her attention to the other fallen ninja. She grabbed him by the hair and looked him in the eyes. She had a wicked smile on her and then put the knife to his throat. Allister saw the nunchaku ninja fall victim to Maddie.

"I don't need them," Allister said, "They are nothing but failures."

Dawn and Maddie were ready to face Allister. He swung the ax at them. Maddie moved back and then tried to stab him. He rolled on the ground, avoiding the dagger. She tried to stab him again, but he grabbed her arm and elbowed her in the face. As he flipped her over, Dawn swung the metal stick at him. He blocked it and Dawn threw a few kicks at him. He grabbed her leg and struck her hip with his elbow. She went down holding her leg. Maddie made an attempt to strike him with her boot knife, but he backed away and swung the ax at her while she was still on the ground. Maddie rolled out of the way and quickly got up.

"Had enough?" Allister asked.

Maddie laughed. He came at her with the ax. Maddie moved and delivered a kick to his ribs. She quickly delivered another one right in his stomach. She came at him, throwing a combination of punches and kicks. Allister was able to block some and Maddie was able to connect with a few strikes. He was able to grab her leg and flip her backward. Maddie landed on her feet but still stumbled to the ground. Allister raised his ax up, but Dawn blocked it. He elbowed her in the face and attempted to strike her with the ax. She ducked and was able to trap the ax under her arm. She kneed him in the stomach and tossed the ax away. She swung the stick at him but he grabbed it, pulled Dawn forward, and grabbed her throat.

"You had your chance," he said to her, "You could have been part of an elite squadron, but you threw it all away. And for what? To go back to that corrupted nightmare you call home."

He let her go. As soon as she fell to the ground, he kicked her in the ribs. Dawn turned over in pain. Maddie came up behind him and he quickly turned around. Maddie laughed. He threw a kick at her, but she blocked it and delivered a kick to the side of his head and then quickly kicked him again with the heel. She thrusted her dagger at him, but he moved and grabbed her arm. He tried to break it, but she threw him over. She put her boot on his throat and then activated her boot knife while laughing.

"Ready to beg?" Maddie said.

As the blade slowly moved towards his throat, he grabbed her leg and was able to throw her off. She tried to stab him again, but he moved to the side and locked Maddie in a chokehold. As he choked her, she tried to struggle herself free while gagging and laughing. Out of nowhere, Dawn punched Allister right in the face. He let go of Maddie as Dawn continued to throw punch after punch. He was in a daze. Dawn slammed his head on the ground and then picked him up. She held him near the edge of the mansion roof. Dawn kneed him in the stomach a few times and then struck him with a few elbow shot to the face. She backed away from him as he was in a near state of unconsciousness.

"Damn you," Allister muttered, "You're going to realize the mistake you made. There is no peace in this world anymore. Except here. You two had the chance and now you will live in hell for the rest of your miserable lives."

"Is that so?" Dawn said.

Dawn kicked him on the side of the face.

"I'm not going to kill you," she continued.

She kicked him again.

"I'm going to show you mercy," she said.

Dawn turned to Maddie.

"But she won't."

Maddie kneeled down beside him and showed him her wicked smile. Allister showed no fear.

"I'm I supposed to be scared?" He said, "Then kill me. At least I'll die with honor. I'm not going to give you the pleasure."

Maddie held the dagger to his throat. Dawn looked on and Maddie finished him off. Maddie looked back at Dawn and smiled. They walked down the stairs and across the back of the mansion. They moved up a broken down road which led right to City 17. Maddie held Dawn's hand as they walked up a hill. The area was deserted except for a few old trees. When they made it up the hill, there was a large electric fence blocking the way.

"Another problem," Dawn said.

"When the hell did he put this up?" Maddie asked. "I don't remember this."

"We'll have to find a way around."

"I think there's a tunnel entrance close by. We can try that."

"I hate tunnels."

The tunnel entrance was only half a mile away. A railroad led into the tunnel. It was still in good enough shape for a train to be moving on it. The tunnel had lights on the ceiling which provided enough light as Dawn and Maddie ventured into the depths beneath the surface walking arm in arm. There were old rail cars, construction helmets, warning signs, and broken pieces of metal surrounded by rock.

"How long is this tunnel?" Dawn asked.

"I'm not sure," Maddie replied, "But it will get us to where we need to go."

They continued through the depths of the tunnel and came across a large area were there were old campfire equipment around, but it provided no use since there was no food nearby.

"Damn it," Dawn said.

"We should keep going," Maddie said, "I see the other side not too far from here."


	16. Non Compos Mentis

**ACT 3: WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ASHES**

"Death's hand and the crazy, I can't stand the light of day.

Watching all the victims on their knees as they pray.

God of the almighty never answers their call.

Satan is just waiting for the righteous to fall…to him."

–Black Sabbath, _Damaged Soul_

 **Chapter 16: Non Compos Mentis**

Dawn and Maddie made it out of the tunnel and into the night of City 17. Up ahead was a building which appeared to be a large medical facility.

"We should head over there," Dawn said.

They walked over there not knowing if there was impending danger lurking around the building. The surrounding area appeared to be sanitary. There was less trash, less graffiti, and there was green grass out front. Then, something spotted Dawn's eye on the grass. It was a large colorful flower. She had seen one before a long time ago and realized what this place was.

"I think I know who's here," Dawn said, "This place is a science lab, like Black Mesa. Let's see if we can get in."

Maddie immediately thought of Tim and smiled. They walked to a large staircase. Located on the top of the building was the Black Mesa logo. Maddie remembered the logo from Tim's lab coat.

"Someone must have started up a new facility," Dawn said.

They reached the top of the staircase and Dawn tried to open the door but it was locked.

"There has to be another way in," Maddie said. "You know that I can find one."

"Hang on a second. We'll find another-"

Maddie disappeared. Dawn looked up at the roof and knew that was the route Maddie had taken. Then, a loud click was heard and the door swung open. The place inside was bright. It looked just like the Black Mesa Research Facility. Dawn walked in and then the door closed and locked. Dawn remembered Black Mesa from a few years ago as she walked through the large open area until someone saw her.

"Hey," a woman's voice said.

Dawn turned around and saw Laura Fuller standing in the hallway. She smiled at her. The two shared a hug. Laura still had her long black hair and slender frame.

"Wow, you still look the same," Dawn said.

"And you look different," Laura said, "What happened to your hair?"

"I think this is more suitable for this environment."

"Anyway, I'm so glad to see you. We saw you on the surveillance cam. Where's the other girl you were with?"

"Uh, she went to look for something. She likes to explore."

"Well, you look tired," Laura said, "Stay here and rest up."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Dawn said.

"But before you do, I want you to meet a few people."

Laura led her down a hallway and through a pair of double doors and entered a large science lab. Everything about the lab resembled the ones at Black Mesa.

"It's like I'm back there," Dawn said.

"Yeah, everyone wanted it the same," Laura said.

Then, a familiar face walked by to greet her.

"Walter!" Dawn shouted.

"Dawn! It's really you," Walter said.

The two hugged. Walter had gotten older and had very little hair left. He was skinnier and still wore the same thick glasses.

"Where have you been? What happened to you?" Walter asked.

"I've been to hell and back," Dawn replied.

"I'm so glad you are alive and well. I've been so worried about you."

"I was wondering the same thing. How did you escape the Combine?"

"Luckily for us, we had help from the Rebellion."

Heather and Spencer walked in and saw Dawn.

"Wow, they're here too," Dawn said.

She hugged both of them.

"I'm so glad you're here," Heather said, "We got an experiment you'll want to see."

"It's a scientific breakthrough."

"It's true," Laura said, "Remember those head crab zombies? Someone found a cure for them. The host can survive with the treatment."

Dawn immediately remembered Travis, the scientist she apprehended for Barney.

"And that's not all," Walter said, "Well, I tell you about it later."

Then, Travis Cowan walked in and saw everyone gathered around Dawn.

"What the hell?" He said. "It's you."

"You two know each other?" Laura asked.

"Yeah, she almost ruined this whole experiment. She turned me into City Enforcement."

"I was doing some work for them," Dawn said, "I realized now that it was a mistake."

"Sure. It doesn't matter anymore because the experiment is working."

"Well, I'm glad you too are in good standing now," Laura said.

Everyone but Travis was sitting at a large table. Walter and Heather were sitting next to each other and Laura and Spencer were sitting close together. Spencer kissed her on the cheek as Dawn watched.

"So Dawn, now that we've been caught up, who was that girl you were with?" Laura asked.

Dawn had wondered why she kept asking about her. She didn't know what to tell her. Maddie would soon find a way in here and might kill everyone if she knew who they were.

"Well, did you just meet her?" Laura asked.

"Her name is Maddie," Dawn said, "She's helped me stay alive."

"I know I have seen her face before," Spencer said, "But where?"

"That face is very familiar to me," Walter said.

Now Dawn knew it would be a matter of time before they found out she was Tim's daughter. Dawn sat there with as a feeling of nervousness ran through her.

"So what's the deal between you and Travis?" Heather asked.

"Oh, this guy, Barney Calhoun wanted me to do jobs for him," Dawn said, "He said the guy was a criminal or something. I had no idea he could find a cure for those zombies."

"He's been a great help to us," Spencer said. "He was able to cure a few people."

"I thought he went to Ashgate. How did he get out?" Dawn asked.

"I guess he got lucky," Walter said.

Maddie had made her way in through the top and was crawling through the large air vents. She watched, through a grate, Travis mixing a few chemicals and placing them in beaker bottles. There were a few syringes on the counter he was working at. He took an empty syringe and filled it from a bottle labeled 'experimental.' He placed it inside his coat pocket and walked into another room. She continued through the vent until she saw Dawn and the scientists sitting at the table. Maddie recognized Walter Bennett. She remembered him from when she visited Black Mesa. She was angry at the mere sight of him and searched for a way down. Hearing Dawn talk and laugh with them made her furious. The more they laughed, the more she thought Dawn had forgotten about her. She made her way over another grate and removed it. She dropped down into a dimly lit room which was completely empty. She walked to the door and heard more laughing. After exiting the room, she snuck around to the area where Dawn was while still unseen.

"So Dawn, where's your friend, Maddie, you said?" Laura asked.

Dawn looked at her, annoyed.

"Laura, why do you keep asking about her?" She asked.

"I just want to know."

Walter and Spencer looked at each other.

"She's my friend okay. We made it through Ashgate together. We look out for each other."

Then, Walter had a vision from Black Mesa. He remembered the photo that Tim used to keep on his wall and the day he brought her to Black Mesa for career day. Then, he remembered the surveillance video of Maddie. He realized they were the same person the scientists have been looking for.

"Maddie," he said, "It's her, I saw her before."

Dawn became more annoyed and then, Maddie made her presence. She walked right in clapping her hands. Everyone but Dawn was startled.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," she said, "A nice little reunion."

"Oh my god!" Walter yelled, "It's you."

"So glad you made it Maddie," Laura said.

"Hello Laura," she said, "Daddy told me all about you. He told me what a cruel, vicious whore you are. And there is Heather, the other nuthouse resident. And of course Spencer, the wannabe scientist who looks up to that scumbag. You are a failure, Walter. I heard about the experiment you made a few years ago. You almost killed someone."

She jumped up on the table and Dawn stood up.

"Having fun with these assholes, Dawn?" Maddie said, "I'm so glad I found you Walter. Daddy told me a lot about you. I remember you. You're nothing but an egotistical asshole."

"Your father was the egotistical one. It's nice to know that it runs in the family," Walter replied.

"SHUT THE HELL UP! You don't deserve to talk about him that way."

"Maddie stop," Dawn said, "Let's not-"

"You keep quiet," Maddie stated, "As for all of you, I'm going to make you suffer."

She activated her boot knives and Dawn stood on the table. The scientists ran away.

"I said stop!" Dawn said. "Don't hurt them."

"You stay out of this," Maddie boldly stated, "Your happy reunion is going to turn into a bloodbath."

Maddie turned in the direction of Walter. Dawn grabbed her arm and turned her back around.

"You don't need to hurt them," she said, "They did nothing wrong to you."

Maddie pulled her arm away.

"So that's it huh?" Maddie said, "You're siding with them."

"It's not that," Dawn said.

"You hate me. You always did."

"No!"

"You stay away from me, let me kill them or you'll be next."

Dawn was shocked. She could not tell if Maddie was serious or if she was irate. Either way, Dawn's heart began to sink and she nearly broke into tears.

"Maddie please," she whispered.

Maddie stared back at her, angry. She got off the table and searched for the scientists. Dawn followed her and tackled Maddie to the ground and held her.

"No, you listen to me damn it!' Dawn yelled, "You are not going to hurt them. If you do, you will answer to me and that is something you don't want to do."

Maddie smiled and then laughed.

"So it was all an act," Maddie said, "You needed me to help you out of Ashgate. Admit it. You used me. You rotten bitch. Now that were out, you're kicking me to the curb. Everyone is the same. I really thought you were my friend."

"None of that is true," Dawn whispered.

Maddie broke free and stood up while Dawn remained on her knees. Maddie took her dagger out and pointed it at Dawn.

"So just do it," Dawn said, "END IT ALL FOR ME! I don't want to live if you hate me."

That was something Maddie had once heard a long time ago. Maddie felt a sorrowfulness come over her. Maddie lowered her dagger and suddenly, a dart struck her in the arm. Dawn looked up in shock as Maddie fell to the ground. She turned to the side and saw Travis holding a tranquilizer gun.

"That was close," Travis said.

He ran over to Maddie.

"We can cure her," he said.

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked.

"She's the one who's been scaling the rooftops; the real crazy girl right? We've developed a cure for insanity."

The rest of the scientists came out and crowded over Maddie's unconscious body.

"I can't believe Tim's daughter was still alive," Walter said. "Dawn, do you know what a psychotic murderer she is?"

Dawn ignored him and consoled Maddie.

"What exactly is going on between you two?" Laura asked.

"She just wanted someone to be her friend," Dawn said. "That's all she wanted."

"Well, you two can be on your way once the treatment is over," Walter said.

Dawn walked in the room where Maddie was. She was tied to a bed and was struggling to get free.

"I'm sorry Maddie," Dawn said.

She stopped moving.

"They want to treat you. It's supposed to make you better."

"You mean cure me?" Maddie said, "Daddy told me about this drug Walter was developing."

"It cures your insanity."

Maddie laughed.

"I don't want to be cured. I'm fine the way I am."

Dawn gave her words some thought. She came closer to Maddie.

"So what are you going to do Dawn?" Maddie asked, "Are you going to give in to them?"

"Maddie, I truly deeply care about you."

"Then get me the hell out of here."

Dawn walked out of the room and saw Walter holding a syringe. The rest of the scientists were following.

"Dawn, we are ready," Walter said.

"No," Dawn brashly stated.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to allow it to happen."

"Dawn, please, we need to do this. She's not sound of mind. She needs help."

"She doesn't want to be cured."

"It's for her own good," Spencer said. "This is a medical breakthrough."

"I don't give a damn. I care about Maddie," Dawn said.

"Dawn, what is your damn problem?" Laura shouted, "She's a psycho. I don't know what the hell you see in her."

"I got news for all of you. That teenage girl that was with you back at Black Mesa is no more. My dad isn't here to force me to go along with you on one of your geek adventures. I've changed along with this vicious world. If any of you even try to harm her, I will kill each and every one of you. Is that clear?"

Dawn's intimidating words created nervousness among them.

"Dawn, there's no need to be this way," Heather pleaded, "Please let us help your friend."

"You know, when we were out in the woods that day and I was listening to you," Dawn said, "I started to develop this urge to beat each and every one of you to death."

The scientists were shocked.

"Dawn, please," Heather said.

"Oh shut the hell up already," Dawn snapped at her.

"Don't talk to her that way!" Walter yelled.

"You shut your damn mouth," Dawn replied to him, "You thought Gordon Freeman was bad, me and Maddie will be a whole lot worse."

"Okay guys, stop this please," Travis said, "If Maddie doesn't want to be cured, then let her go."

"NO!" Walter said, "I want to cure that psycho."

Dawn backed away across the door. Maddie stepped out and began laughing. Dawn smiled.

"Oh, yoo-hoo!" Maddie said.

The scientists backed away. Spencer was able to grab a small hammer.

"Who wants to die a slow miserable death first?" Maddie said, "Any takers? Oh I know. It's going to be Walter."

Maddie walked towards him. Spencer tried to hit her with the hammer but she grabbed his arm and flipped him over. Then, she kicked him in the face, knocking him out. Dawn pointed to Laura, Heather, and Travis.

"Get down on the ground now," Dawn demanded.

Laura and Travis complied but Heather refused.

"I'm not going to let her kill Walter," Heather said.

Dawn grabbed her hair.

"I said get on the ground!" Dawn yelled.

She threw Heather down but she got back up. Dawn grabbed her hair again and kneed her in the stomach. She held her by the hair as Heather was on her knees.

"You are going to enjoy every minute of this," Dawn told her.

Walter began shivering.

"Come on geek," Maddie taunted, "Cure me. Make me sane."

Maddie kicked the syringe out of Walter's hand. The glass syringe broke on the ground. Walter backed into a corner and sat on the ground. He curled into a ball as Maddie came forward with her dagger.

"I love being insane," She told him, "Insanity for me, is my way of life and life is good."

She activated her boot knives and Walter turned away. Heather tried to struggle free but Dawn slapped her across the face. Maddie grabbed Walter by the shirt and dragged him near Dawn. Maddie put the dagger on his throat and began to laugh. She rose the dagger up and drove it towards Walter. She stopped right before the dagger contacted his throat and let him go. She waved her finger at him and laughed. Dawn let Heather go and she went by Walter's side.

"Now you all know damn well I wouldn't let him die," Dawn said.

Maddie walked up to Dawn and the two hugged. They kissed as the rest of the scientists looked on. Walter looked up and saw the two kissing. He felt hurt on the inside that Dawn, someone he once knew, actually caring about Maddie. Tim would always tell stories in front of Walter about how Maddie was a grade A student, was nice and friendly to everyone, and would someday become a scientist. Now he knew everything was a blatant lie. Laura looked on as her hopes of what could have been a breakthrough in science came to a halt. She felt as if a freight train ran her over and was completely disgusted with Dawn. They stopped kissing.

"Laura, you're going to let us out of here," Dawn said.

They were at the front of the lab.

"Laura, I'm really sorry it had to come to this, "Dawn told her, "But I care for Maddie and I respect her choices in life."

"I'm sorry as well," Laura said.

"I hope Walter feels better."

Laura activated the switch for the exit and Dawn and Maddie walked toward the exit. Maddie stopped as Dawn walked out. She turned to Laura and showed her an evil smile before leaving.

When Dawn and Maddie made it outside, they walked side by side, remaining silent for a while.

"Dawn, did you mean what you said?" Maddie asked.

"Of course I did," Dawn replied.

"Let's not fight anymore. I don't want to be enemies. I hate having enemies."

"You know I would do anything for you. It feels so good being with you."

Dawn knew what she wanted to say to her. The three words she could not find the courage to say. They headed towards Maddie's place walking arm in arm along the way.

"Let's get some rest," Dawn said.

When the two made it to her place, Dawn saw the table she was at earlier. The two dolls were still in place and the teapot was still on the table. Maddie pulled Dawn by the arm and into her bedroom. Dawn looked at the wall and saw more newspaper clippings of the Black Mesa incidents. There was also a pencil drawing of Dawn on the wall. Maddie fell onto her bed and pulled Dawn on top of her. The two shared a kiss. Dawn knew what she had to say.

"Maddie, I love you," Dawn said.

Maddie stared back at her and smiled.

"I've always loved you," Maddie replied.

The two continued to kiss. Soft moans and panting were heard as the night drifted on.


	17. America is Dead

**Chapter 17: America is Dead**

The next morning, Barney and his crew arrived at an apartment complex. There were two large buildings that ran parallel. Barney stepped out of the van, which was driven by Lt. Malcolm, and looked hungover. He was drinking a beer. When he was done, he tossed it in front of him. The bottle broke on the ground. He leaned on the van and tried to gain focus. Sgt. Franklin stepped out of the van and walked over to Barney.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Yeah," Barney replied.

Lt. Malcolm walked up to them.

"Back up is ready Calhoun," Lt. Malcolm said.

"Good. It's time we take out these liberal jackasses once and for all."

Sgt. Franklin got out three stun batons and passed one to Barney and one to Lt. Malcolm. They each had their sidearms holstered. Lt. Malcom and Sgt. Franklin wore body armor and helmets. Barney did not feel the need to wear such gear; he was dressed in his standard uniform. The rest of the City Enforcement was standing behind them in full gear.

"Let's move," Barney said.

They walked toward the apartment buildings.

"Come on out!" Barney shouted. "We know you're here."

A man and a woman stepped out in front of them. The man was dressed in a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He had short black hair, glasses, and a small beard. The woman was wearing a short sleeve shirt, jeans, with brown boots. She had long brown hair, had on a floppy hat, and also wore glasses. She held her arms out as Barney approached them. He stopped.

"Where is everyone else?" He said.

"There is no need for this," she said, "We do not need violence."

"Shut the hell up! I want everyone out here or I'm going to flush these rats out of their holes."

"Why are you doing this to us?" The man asked, "We just want equality in this world. Just because you disagree with our beliefs does not mean you can cause harm to us."

"I don't believe in what you do," Barney said, "But I believe that people like you are part of the problem. You send your damn protesters out in front of the station wanting to shut down Ashgate. I'm trying to make a statement, trying to educate the people."

"That place is not the way to treat anyone," the woman said.

"Oh really, then how do you treat criminals then?" Barney asked. "Ashgate in full of the most dangerous and vile people on what is left of this planet and you idiots what them to be treated fairly and with respect. I don't think you asinine liberals would like it if I let them loose around you."

The man and the woman stood silent.

"I didn't think so," Barney continued, "Or maybe I should force you two to go into Ashgate and live among these nice little folks."

"This needs to stop," the woman said. "You are adding to the problem this country is facing."

"Adding to the problem? You idiots protested the execution of criminals who would rob, rape, and kill any citizen they can including you. Now you want Ashgate shut down?"

"There should be a prison for them like there was before the war," the man said.

"A prison, huh? Yeah let's make a prison so every citizen can pay their taxes to care for these criminal pieces of shit."

"They should not be treated like savages. That's not what America is about," the woman said.

Barney stared at her with pure anger.

"America? What the hell are you talking about?" Barney said, "Look around you. America is dead! People like you murdered it! This damn place was nothing but a warzone. It was a warzone because ignorant people like you want to disarm the public. You wanted to disarm the law abiding citizens. All because of the Black Mesa incident. Then look what happened, a hostile takeover of the whole damn earth. But we fought back with weapons and we kicked their asses. It's surprising you didn't demand rights for the Combine soldiers or protest against the killing of the Combine.

Barney smiled at the woman.

"You know what?"

"What?" She said.

"Sometimes the Combine soldiers would run out of ammo and me and my crew would come along with our guns. They would put their hands up and I would shoot them anyway. Protest against that. Bring your liberal media and blow this whole thing out of proportion. Oh that's right, no more media."

"You are a disgrace," the man said.

Barney took out his stun baton.

"I'm not the one who supports the killing of an unborn baby but wants to save the life of a murderer," Barney stated.

"The police like you are the ones who kill these helpless people," the woman said.

Barney slapped the woman across the face.

"Stop this!" The man yelled.

He consoled her as she held her face. She started to shiver and Barney smiled.

"Yeah, we kill helpless criminals; the poor little defenseless thugs."

Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin pulled the man away and held him back.

"Please stop!" The man yelled.

Lt. Malcolm punched him in the stomach and then hit him in the face with his elbow. The man went down and Sgt. Franklin stomped on his stomach. Barney grabbed the woman by the hair.

"Nothing you and your damn liberal friends can do about it," he said to her face, "No biased president to come to your rescue and stand up for your idiotic beliefs."

More liberals came out and saw the City Enforcement.

"Guys, let's get 'em," Barney told the rest of the City Enforcement, "With your batons, with your boots, with your bare hands!"

They charged in and began beating everyone they could find to enforce their brand of justice. Barney grabbed the woman by the hair and dragged her through the pavement. He held her up and forced her to watch the City Enforcement attack her liberal friends. As tears ran down her face, Barney smiled and laughed.

"It's what you deserve when you are hateful to everyone who has a different belief than you," Barney said.

He grabbed her throat and pinned her to the ground. He put two fingers to her head and pretended to shoot her.

"Boom. It's over," he whispered.

He used his stun baton to knock her out. Barney ran up to the nearest liberal and struck him in the face with the baton. When he went down, Barney struck him until he was no longer moving. He moved past the others who delivered beatings to the liberals. One of them was crawling. Barney grabbed him by the hair and drove his head into the ground. He did not care if he killed them or not, he wanted his message to be heard loud and clear. He walked through the apartment complex watching the other City Enforcement members obliterate the liberals. As he was walking toward one of the apartment buildings, he signaled for some to go into the other one and then signaled for Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin to follow him inside. He saw more people looking out the windows. Barney was determined to teach every one of them a lesson.

Barney along with Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin entered the apartment building. The place had been kept neat and clean. There were posters on the wall promoting gun control as well as anti-authority messages. More City Enforcement members made their way in. He heard a few people running through the halls and quickly ran in the direction of the noise. He saw a man wearing an anti-gun shirt.

"What are you doing man?" The man asked.

"Delivering justice," Barney replied.

He kicked the man in the shin and he screamed in pain as he fell to the ground. The man's leg was broken. Barney used his stun baton on him. They continued through the building. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin kicked down the doors of some of the apartments. Some were completely empty and some were occupied. Sgt. Franklin stormed in one of the apartments and found a man and a woman inside. He kneed the woman the stomach and struck the man in the face with the baton.

"That looks like it hurt," he said to the woman.

He used his stun baton to knock her out. Next, he ripped off the anti-authority and gun control posters off the wall. Lt. Malcolm barged his way into an apartment with two men inside. There was a rainbow flag and pro-gay marriage signs on the wall. Lt. Malcolm looked at the two men who were up against the wall.

"We were right about you," one of them said.

"You guys are the real criminals," the other one said.

Lt. Malcolm walked towards them.

"I don't give a damn what you think about us," he said, "But there is nothing you assholes can do about it."

He punched one of them in the stomach and then grabbed the other one by the arm. Then, he broke the man's arm and he screamed in pain until Lt. Malcolm smashed his head on the wall. There was now an imprint and a blood stain on the wall. He grabbed the other man and put him in a reverse headlock. With one quick motion, he snapped his neck.

Barney was out in the hallway. He looked out of the window and saw the rest of the City Enforcement members beating up the liberals who dared to stand in their way. Then, he spotted a teenage girl who was staring at him. She was a skinny girl with long blonde hair, freckles on her face, and wore a shirt with a picture of a young man's face on it. Barney gave her an angry look. The teen girl ran and Barney followed. She ran through the hallway and up the stairs. Barney was able to grab her and hold her by the hair. He dragged her up the rest of the stairs and held her to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He asked her. "Are you just another wannabe liberal or did these idiots brainwash you?"

She did not answer. Instead, she just shed tears. Barney noticed the picture of the young man on her shirt. He remembered the young man from a few years ago that was shot by police after he had robbed a store.

"You support this loser?" Barney asked.

She nodded.

"You support criminals, how stupid. This wannabe thug got what he deserved."

"He was unarmed, he had a future," she whispered.

"Yeah, a future as a lowlife punk. He nearly killed a police officer and you still stand up for this thug. I'm glad he was blown away. The officer that killed him should've been hailed a hero. Instead, idiots like you treat him like shit."

"He had his hands up," she whispered.

Barney picked her up and delivered a backhand slap to her face, knocking her down. He grabbed her by the hair and slapped her again. He attempted to kick her down the stairs, but she was able to run away. He continued up the stairs. The sound of doors shutting was heard and Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin along with other City Enforcement members flooded the hallways. They kicked down the doors and entered the apartments. Screams were heard along with sounds of people being thrown into the walls. Barney saw a liberal running in the hall. He chased him down and grabbed him. He tried to struggle free, but Barney lifted him in the air and slammed him to the ground. He kneed the man in the face. When he lifted him up, his face was bloody. He shoved him into the wall. The man pulled out a small knife and tried to stab Barney but he grabbed his arm and elbowed him in the ribs. He took the knife and stabbed the man in the leg. Barney looked out of the window.

"Can liberals fly?" Barney asked him.

He grabbed the man and threw him out of the window. He watched the man fall to the street.

"I guess not."

Barney walked back towards the stairs. Along the way, he saw the City Enforcement drag the liberals out into the hallway to be beaten. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin stomped and kicked a man who was lying against the wall. Barney smiled as he ascended the stairs. He ripped off the liberal propaganda posters along the way. As he reached the top, more City Enforcement members ran up the stairs. He signaled for some to go right and for some to go left.

"We're kickin' some ass!" Barney shouted.

Lt. Malcom and Sgt. Franklin joined him.

"You guys enjoying this?" Barney asked.

"This is great. It's about time we delivered some hard justice to these people," Lt. Malcolm said.

"These dickless losers are not even fighting back," Sgt. Franklin said.

"Yeah, it reminds me of the good ol' times at Black Mesa," Barney said, "Back when I used to terrorize the scientists. I miss those times."

The sound of the City Enforcement punishing the liberals was heard in the hallway. As Barney and his crew were walking, a liberal was thrown into the hallway. A City Enforcement member ran out and slammed the liberal's head on the wall, knocking him out. Barney nodded at him.

"That's how it's done," Barney said to him.

They walked across an apartment that was ransacked. A teenage boy and a teenage girl were inside. They were lying on the floor. The walls were smashed, their couch was torn, and many of their appliances were scattered across the apartment. Barney and his crew entered. He lifted the teen boy up and placed him on the couch. He was in his late teens, had medium length blonde hair, and was thin. He was wearing a shirt with a marijuana leaf on it. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin lifted the teen girl up. She was also in her late teens, had long brown hair, and had a slender frame. She tried to break free but. Lt. Malcolm shoved her on the couch near the teen boy.

"You must feel so big and tough to come on here and raid us like this," the teen boy said, "There's a lot more criminals out there. Go and stop them."

Barney laughed.

"Look what we have here, another stupid teenager who thinks he knows what he is talking about," Barney said, "It was idiots like you that caused this mess. Now it's time we show our appreciation."

"You have no right to do this," the teen girl said.

"Bitch, shut up," Lt. Malcolm.

"Whoa, hang on there Malcolm," Barney said, "Let her say what she needs to say. After all, our soldiers died for her to have that right. Just as long as she remembers that."

"Listen, I do support the Resistance. But you and you're gang are turning into the very thing you were fighting against."

"Oh really? And what do you know, little lady, about fighting in a war? Were you there? Oh yeah, you lazy cowards refused to fight against the Combine."

"Look, you made your point okay," the teen boy said.

Barney saw a marijuana stash on the kitchen table. He walked over there and took a plastic bag of marijuana.

"We're gonna party tonight!" Barney exclaimed.

Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin each took a plastic bag. The teen boy stood up.

"That doesn't belong to you," he said.

"Shut up," Barney replied.

The teen boy tried to take the stash but Barney punched him in the stomach. He fell to the ground and Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin kicked him. The teen girl stood up.

"Stop it!" She yelled.

Barney grabbed her hair and held her on the couch. He got on top of her and felt her face. He leaned in close to her and she began to cry.

"Nah, you're not even worth a damn," he said.

They left the apartment. Barney looked out a window and saw more of the City Enforcement had arrived.

They were now outside. There were many liberals outside being held at gun point by the City Enforcement. Lt. Malcolm approached Barney.

"All the children are being escorted away from here," he said, "They are all that's left."

"Good, get the stuff ready," Barney said.

"Why are you doing this?" A man shouted.

"Leave us alone," another man shouted.

Barney climbed on top of a City Enforcement van. He saw the large number of liberals who were beaten and dragged from their homes and into the street and smiled.

"You got what you deserved," Barney said to them, "All of you are what caused this invasion, and all of you are the reason we have to live like this. None of you even helped with the Resistance. Even after we destroyed the Combine, you still have the nerve to protest against us and try to once again destroy the Earth. To me and the rest of the citizens, your lives don't matter."

Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin had gathered the supplies. They were flamethrowers, gasoline, and fire starters.

"It's time to burn this fucking place down!" Barney shouted.

The City Enforcement began spreading gasoline on the street and on the apartment buildings. They lit it on fire. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin used the flame throwers to burn the nearby cars and the buildings. Barney got down from the van and watched as the apartment building was nothing but a burning blaze. The woman he spoke with earlier had an angry look on her face. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her through the street. The man got up, but a City Enforcement member held him down.

"This is inhumane," the woman said.

Barney grabbed a gas can and poured it on the ground. A City Enforcement member came by and stood guard. Barney took a match and lit a fire. Then, he held the woman's hair and put her close to the fire.

"No!" she shouted.

"I should," Barney told her.

The woman watched the fire and then turned away. Barney ripped off her shirt and tossed it in the blaze.

"Do you want to be next?" He asked her.

The woman shook her head.

"Now my message is loud and clear. I run things now and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it. Remember that."

Barney pulled her away from the fire and let go of her hair. He kicked her back in the direction of the rest of the liberals. The man hugged her as she cried. Barney pointed at the man.

"You better watch your ass, because you will be next," Barney angrily said to him.

Barney continued to watch the blaze engulf the building.


	18. Into the Depths

**Chapter 18: Into the Depths**

Dawn and Maddie were lying in bed together, still at Maddie's place. Maddie turned over to kiss Dawn.

"You wore me out," Dawn said.

"And I enjoyed every minute of it."

"Barney is out there and here we are, making love all day. You are so hard to resist."

"I love you Dawn."

The two continued to kiss. The evening sun gleamed into Maddie's place as the two got dressed and prepared for the war against the City Enforcement. This was their battle and they knew they had to finish it soon. Maddie put on her face paint and showed Dawn her wicked smile. Dawn smiled back. They went to the rooftop and saw two large smokestacks in the distance.

"It looks like someone has already started a war," Dawn said.

"Let's join them," Maddie replied.

They made it on top of a building near where the smoke was coming from. It was from the apartment building the City Enforcement raided. The vehicles were gone and most of the fire stopped.

"It's those damn liberals," Dawn said, "City Enforcement must have raided the place."

"Oh those poor little people," Maddie said sarcastically.

They made their way towards the apartment buildings and saw that people were bruised, bleeding, and crying. The liberals looked at Dawn and Maddie, most notably Maddie who was smiling.

"Wait a minute, what is she doing here?" The man asked Dawn.

"We're soldiers in a war," Dawn said.

"There's enough war around here," the woman said.

"Did City Enforcement do this?" Dawn asked.

"Yes," the man replied, "They must be stopped. They think they have the right to assault us and burn down our home. People are tormented and hurt."

Maddie chuckled and everyone looked at her.

"We're going after them and we are going to put an end to this," Dawn said.

"We need to rise above them, we need a movement," the man said.

Dawn stared at him and Maddie laughed.

"Just to be clear, we doing it for the people who fight beside us and those who supported the Resistance against the Combine," Dawn said, "Not for you. Not to have a country run by liberals. Understand me?"

"You're just like them," the man said, "You give someone a bunch of guns and look what happens, they turn into them."

"Oh really, guns are not the problem, people like you are," Dawn boldly stated, "Take a look at her. She doesn't use guns. She must be a model citizen."

Maddie took out her two knives and made a slashing motion at the man and woman.

"She must be the safest person in the world because she never killed with a gun," Dawn continued.

"You're both crazy," the man said, "And what are you even doing with a psycho like her. You and the City Enforcement are what is wrong with this world."

Dawn punched him in the face, knocking him down.

"I'm not like them," she said, "And I'm certainly not like you."

Maddie laughed and then looked directly into the eyes of the woman who was startled. Dawn and Maddie left the area, heading towards the City Enforcement station. They walked in the middle of the street as if they owned it. Some citizens saw the two together from their apartments and those who were on the street made sure they stood clear of them. Dawn realized that she had not had a drink of alcohol in a long time, but was too full of rage to care. They were approaching the City Enforcement station. Dawn and Maddie stood a half a mile from it.

"Are you ready to end this?" Dawn asked.

"I've been ready," Maddie said.

"Let's find him and take him out."

Dawn and Maddie snuck around the station by entering a nearby abandoned building. They saw City Enforcement members enter vans and drive off. She looked around and it appeared to be empty. They slowly approached the station and looked inside a van. There were numerous assault weapons in the back. Dawn tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Forget it," Dawn said.

They went to the entrance and Dawn kicked the door open. They entered and made their way towards his office but he was not there. She saw the gun cabinet nearby and took a shotgun and some ammo. They moved through the empty station quietly, passing offices and jail cells. Looking inside one of the cells, she saw the vagrants she encountered a few days ago. There was some blood splatter on the cell walls and they appeared to be dead. Then, Maddie saw a shadow of someone in the hallway. She tapped Dawn on the shoulder and they went towards the shadow. It disappeared back into the light as Dawn and Maddie got closer. They entered the hallway and moved towards a room where there appeared to be City Enforcement members chatting. Dawn looked into the room and saw three of them inside. There was a large pool table and a poker table inside. There were also two female strippers dancing on the table. The CE members howled and whistled at them. Dawn entered and pointed the shotgun at them.

"Nobody move!" Dawn yelled.

They turned around. The strippers got off the table and ran to the back of the room.

"What the hell are you doing here?" One of them asked.

"Tell me where Barney is."

"I ain't tellin' you little girl," the CE member said.

Dawn hit him with the shotgun, the others went for their sidearms, but Dawn pointed the shotgun at them and they held their hands up.

"Maddie, make him talk," Dawn told her.

Maddie smiled and pointed her dagger at him. Dawn took the sidearm from him and kicked him in the leg, knocking him down. With one hand, she removed the clip from the gun at set it on the pool table.

"Get on the ground," Dawn told them.

They did as they were told. One CE member tried to hit Dawn, but she moved and elbowed him in the face. He went to one knee and Dawn knocked him out with the butt of the shotgun. Maddie held the officer by the throat and moved the flat side of the dagger along his face.

"Answer the question," Maddie said.

"I don't answer to you," he said.

"I can end your life quickly or with the worst pain you will ever feel. I really hope you don't answer."

The City Enforcement member began to breathe heavily and Maddie turned the point of the dagger right at his throat.

"He's at the scrapyard, not too far from here," he said, "I don't know what he's doing there. I swear."

Maddie smiled. Dawn used the butt of the shotgun to knock the others out. Maddie raised her dagger in the air. Before she could stab him, Dawn grabbed her arm.

"Leave him alone," Dawn said.

Maddie laughed and used the hilt of the knife to knock him out. They left the police station and headed for the scrapyard. They saw the scrapyard as they walked the streets of City 17 arm in arm. More citizens watched them. Some glanced and looked away and some were confused. Dawn and Maddie did not care what anyone thought about them. When the approached the scrapyard, they saw four City Enforcement vans parked outside. Dawn peaked through a rusted piece of metal used for a wall and saw City Enforcement members gathered around. They were armed with assault rifles, shotguns, and hunting rifles.

"Well damn it," Dawn said, "Looks like we got another problem."

"Let's sneak around and kill them one by one," Maddie said.

Dawn looked around and saw no way in other that the front entrance.

"How are you going to get in?" Dawn asked.

Maddie smiled and felt Dawn's face.

"I'll find a way in, I always do."

The two shared a kiss.

"Promise me you'll be safe," Dawn pleaded.

"I don't play safe."

"Stay alive is what I mean. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't, and you better not let these assholes take you down."

They kissed one more time. Maddie ran off. Dawn watched her until she vanished. She realized she needed to concentrate on finding Barney and stop worrying about Maddie or it would get her killed. As she moved towards the entrance, a female City Enforcement member came out. Dawn hid behind one of the vans. The CE member opened the backdoors of the van and searched for something inside. Dawn sneaked up on her, making sure no one else was around. Dawn placed her in a chokehold and brought her to the ground.

"Got a question," Dawn said, "Your answer depends on whether or not you live.

"I'm not doing what you say," she said.

Dawn slammed her head into the open door and she fell to the ground. Then, she slowly closed the door on her head against the platform just enough to cause pain.

"Where's Barney?" Dawn asked.

"He's inside okay," she said.

"I know he is. Where inside?"

"He said he was searching for scrap metal. I swear I don't know exactly where he is."

Dawn opened the door and the CE member laid on the ground.

"You're in a lot of trouble," she said, "You can't fight your way past them."

"That's for me to worry about," Dawn replied.

Dawn kicked her in the face, knocking her out. She looked in the van and saw a few pistols, MP5's, police batons, and a pair of padded gloves. She equipped her weapons as well as a tactical vest and walked into the scrapyard. She heard gunfire and immediately ran for cover. Her first thought was that Maddie was spotted. She peered around a pile of crushed cars and saw that a few of the City Enforcement were just having fun. There was howling and screaming heard. She quickly realized there was no easy or quiet way to do this and decided to face them head on. More gunfire was heard. Then Barney came on their radio.

"Hey knock that shit off!" He said. "Stop screwing around!"

"Damn, we never have any fun," one of them said.

Dawn peered through a junk car and saw the three of them splitting up. She quietly followed one of them and waited until he walked behind a large storage container. She grabbed him from behind and placed him in a chokehold until he was unconscious. Then, she quickly moved across the yard and followed another member. She choked him out as well. The last one was standing in the middle of the open area. He kicked around a few pieces of metal until Dawn came right behind him and placed him in a chokehold. He struggled but Dawn threw him down and delivered punch to the side of the head to knock him out. As Dawn was about to venture into the depths of the scrapyard, Barney spoke on the radio.

"Okay guys, I need you to get over here quickly," he said.

Dawn was now caught in a fight for her life.

"Hey, someone answer me! What happened?" He shouted.

Dawn picked up the radio.

"Barney, it's good to hear from you," she said.

"Who the hell?"

"Yeah, I'm back from that vacation you sent me on and now I got unfinished business with you."

"How the hell did you escape? You know what, it doesn't matter because you are not going to make it out alive."

"Right back at you."

She threw the radio down and ran into the depths of the scrapyard.


	19. Outgunned, Outnumbered, and Out of Luck

**Chapter 19: Outnumbered, Outgunned, and Out of Luck**

There were no rooftops for Maddie to scale when she made it inside the scrapyard. She used the pile of junk cars, containers, and old trains to hide. She walked past an old rusted train with numerous graffiti on it. There were two City Enforcement members leaning on the opposite side of the train and another one facing them. She quietly entered the old train and listened.

"Hey, why are we hanging around here?" One of them said, "Barney said Dawn was here."

"So what? She's just a girl."

"Yeah, there ain't nothing to be afraid of, unless you're scared of a girl."

"Guys, she escaped Ashgate."

"Look, if she does show her face, I'm gonna put a bullet in her. She won't even have time to beg."

The City Enforcement officer walked away. Maddie knew she needed to eliminate them quickly. There was no time for her to enjoy each kill. Dawn needed her and she needed Dawn. She moved towards the front of the train and slipped out unseen. She moved quickly and low behind the cars. The City Enforcement member nearly saw her, but she hid behind a large pile of metal. He heard something and started to investigate. As he looked around the cars, Maddie snuck behind him and slammed his head onto the hood of the car, knocking him out. The two other CE members heard the noise and ran over. Maddie jumped up onto a large stack of metal containers and watched them. They saw the unconscious CE member and frantically looked around. Maddie's laugh echo through the scrapyard, making the two nervous. She laughed again and the two City Enforcement members got more nervous. She kicked a steel beam off of the pile and the two ran over to the sound. Suddenly, she came behind them and smashed their heads together. They fell to the ground, dazed. She stomped on one of their heads and quickly stomped on the other one. They were both knocked out and then, Maddie disappeared.

Dawn had her MP5 ready as she quietly moved through the scrapyard. She looked above her and saw two snipers walking along a walkway which led to an office. She thought about taking her chances by shooting at them, but decided not to risk it. She remained behind the large pile of scrap as she made her way through the scrapyard. Then, she heard a radio nearby. It was Barney.

"Listen up, Dawn has somehow made it past some of you, and I need you to detain her, not kill her. I'll deal with the little sweetie myself. And if she's with that damn psycho, I want you to kill her by any means necessary," he said.

Dawn saw three City Enforcement members by looking through a large pipe wedged in the middle of a stack of cars.

"You got it sir," the CE member said.

"I'm gonna blow that bitch away," another one said.

Dawn's heart began to beat faster as she worried about Maddie not making it. She tried her best to regain her composure. She would not let them kill her. Dawn walked to where they were and shot one of them with the MP5. She quickly ran for cover behind a junk car as the two City Enforcement members shot at her. They came near the car and Dawn used the shotgun to kill them. One of them was still alive. Dawn walked over to him and put her boot on his throat.

"You are not going to take my love away from me," Dawn said, "I'll kill you all."

Then, a green dot appeared on her chest, she looked up and saw a sniper from a far distance. She quickly ran for cover as the sniper fired a shot and missed. She made it behind a large dumpster and listened to the ping as the bullets hit. Dawn watched the green dot move across the ground and the scrap in front of her. Now there was no escape and there would be more of them coming. Dawn sat there, waiting to hear more gunfire. She looked around and saw that the green dot was no longer around. She peaked out from the dumpster and saw what appeared to be Maddie in the distance. She was holding her dagger and the body of the sniper was lying next to her. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. Then, like a thief in the night, Maddie disappeared. Her next move was to scatter away from the area. The predators would soon come to catch their prey.

Barney, Lt. Malcolm, and Sgt. Franklin were inside a trailer that had been converted into an office. Barney and Lt. Malcolm were sitting down. Sgt. Franklin looked out of the window and watched the rest of the City Enforcement patrolling the area below.

"How the hell did she escape from there?" Sgt. Franklin said, "I thought escape was impossible from the inside."

"Allister failed us," Lt. Malcolm said, "It seems Combine soldiers are still as weak as they ever been."

"None of that matters now," Barney said, "Because we are going to end this little girl and her bitch friend. Maybe I'll torture her first and make her cry as I beat the living hell out of that psycho. I got some real sick ideas for them. That's if they make it through our defenses."

"How 'bout we make 'em slaves," Sgt. Franklin said.

"Sure. After all I did like watching the two on camera."

Dawn ran between the piles of scrap and crushed cars, holding her MP5 and ready to shoot. The City Enforcement was coming her way and she could sense it. She also predicted that more snipers would be watching. She ran into an open area where there was a large statue of what appeared to be a Combine solider made out of metal. Then, a few City Enforcement members appeared in front of her and began firing shots.

"Surrender now!" One of them yelled.

Dawn fired back at them and then ran for cover behind a large bus. The windows were gone and left a large opening. Two City Enforcement members ran towards her but she was gone. One of them moved to the front of the bus. Then, Dawn came out of the large opening and pulled the City Enforcement member into the bus. She placed him in a chokehold until he was no longer moving. She could see the other member and stayed low inside the bus. As she moved inside of the bus, passing the worn and torn seats, she kicked a fire extinguisher. The sound alerted the CE member who then started shooting at her. She dove behind the seats as the bullets flew at her. The impact of the bullets created holes on the floor. She laid on her stomach and crawled to the back. The CE member walked around the bus, looking for Dawn. He would fire at random intervals. She got her shotgun ready. When the CE member was at the back of the bus, she quickly dove out from behind a seat and fired the shotgun at him. The buck shots hit him in the bulletproof vest, sending him to the ground. Dawn quickly got out of the bus and pointed the shotgun at him. He was still alive but in pain.

"Consider yourself lucky," Dawn said.

She kicked him in the face, grabbed her MP5, and fled the scene. She ran while looking out for more City Enforcement members, and worrying more about Maddie. Love and adrenaline was the fuel she needed to keep running and keep fighting. She saw an office area in the distance. It was near the end of the large scrapyard and she figured it must have been where Barney was. She walked towards it, looking around for any signs of danger. Then, a large group of City Enforcement members surrounded her.

"Don't you move," one of them said, "Barney wants you alive, but I want you dead. Don't make me choose. Now drop your weapons."

She tossed all of the weapons she gathered, except for the pistol. One CE member came behind her and began to frisk her.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered to her.

He felt her legs and then reached under her shirt to feel her stomach. Dawn was irritated but the man enjoyed it. As he was about to touch her breasts, she grabbed his arm, stood behind him, and put the pistol right at his head.

"I'll blow his damn brains out," she said.

"Your death wish will certainly be fulfilled," the man said.

One of the CE members shot the man in the leg. The impact caused both of them to fall over. Dawn was able to find cover behind a broken down bulldozer. The CE members fired at her and the bullets bounced off the metal. Dawn fired back with her pistol, hitting one of them. One CE member ran towards the bulldozer trying to surprise her, but Dawn shot him. She tried to grab his assault rifle, but more CE members shot at her. When she tried to fire back, she ran out of bullets. The CE members who were unaware of it, slowly approached her position. Then, Maddie's laughter was heard. The CE members became nervous and frantically looked around.

"She's here!" One of them said.

The laugh was heard again. Suddenly, one of the CE members went down silently. A bone snapping was heard. Then another one was dragged down. No sound was heard but Maddie was there holding a bloody knife. There were now two members left. Maddie laughed again. Both of them turned around and fired their guns but no one was there. Dawn grabbed the assault rifle and shot one of them on the leg. She quickly hit the other one on the face. As both CE members were down, Maddie stood by Dawn and smiled.

"Hello!" Maddie said to the fallen CE, "Who wants to die first?"

She circled them as Dawn held them at gunpoint.

"I guess I'll decide," Maddie said.

She stepped on one member's throat, instantly killing him. She knelt down beside the last one and held the dagger over his face.

"I'll never beg you damn bitch," he stated.

"You're no fun," Maddie said.

She held the dagger on the air. Dawn looked on as Maddie finished him off. She began to breathe heavily and giggle. She stood up and walked over to Dawn. They went behind the bulldozer.

"I was so worried about you," Dawn said, "I don't know what I would have done if I lost you."

"I was more worried about you. I heard all the gunfire. I say we stick together."

Dawn hugged her and placed her head on her shoulder.

"It feels so good to be with you again," Dawn whispered.

She kissed her on the neck. Maddie put her hands on Dawns face and the two shared a kiss. Dawn pressed her up against the bulldozer and Maddie wrapped one leg around her as they kissed for a while. Then, they headed for the office in the distance. Dawn and Maddie remained close together as they made their way through the multiple piles of junk. As they got closer, Dawn saw Sgt. Franklin on the ground level. He had on a large bulletproof body armor suit and a riot helmet. He was commanding some troops to head in the direction he pointed. Two members were still around him as he paced back and forth. Dawn knew the moment she started firing, the City Enforcement would come right back and she would be outgunned, outnumbered, and out of luck. Dawn and Maddie hid behind a pickup truck. One of them walked near them and started to walk around the truck. Maddie quickly grabbed him and placed him in a chokehold while covering his mouth. He struggled but Dawn punched him in the face a few times to knock him out. Then, Dawn silently ran behind Sgt. Franklin as Maddie silently approached the other CE member. Dawn used the assault rifle to strike him in the head. He stumbled down and saw Dawn pointing the assault rifle at him. Maddie grabbed the other member and placed him in a chokehold. She held her knife to his throat.

"I hope you make a sound," Maddie said, "Cause I would love to slice your throat."

The CE member became nervous as the knife was placed on his throat.

"Well, Dawn," Sgt. Franklin said, "You just refuse to die."

"Damn right," she said.

"So what do you want? Because I'm not telling you anything. You're going to have to kill me."

"Death before dishonor?"

"Yeah."

"I already know where Barney is, so you're useless to me."

"The moment you pull that trigger, everyone will hear it and rain hails of bullets into you."

"Too bad you won't live to see it."

Sgt. Franklin had a wide eyed look and starred straight down the darkness of the barrel. Then, she saw a CE member in front of her. He quickly shot at her, but Dawn dived to the side and shot back, hitting the CE member. More CE members came to the area. One of them shot at Maddie, but she used the CE member as a human shield and ran for cover behind a dumpster. Sgt. Franklin got up and aimed his gun at Dawn. She quickly got up and fired at him, but he let the bullets bounce off his suit. As Dawn ran toward large stack of steel beams, she was able to shoot down some CE members. Sgt. Franklin fired shots at the steel beams. Dawn fired back at Sgt. Franklin, hitting the body armor. He barely felt the bullets hit him as he walked towards the steel beams.

"Come on out you little bitch," he said.

Then, Maddie ran behind a CE member and stabbed him. She quickly moved to the next one and stabbed him as well. Sgt. Franklin turned around and saw her. He shot at her, but Maddie dodged the bullets and went behind a small pile of metal. She laid on her stomach and peaked through a small hole. Sgt. Franklin was coming her way. Dawn grabbed a piece of metal large enough to cover her body and moved to the open area. She shot at him and he turned around as the bullets bounced off. He fired back, hitting the metal. She could feel the shots and hear the sound off of the metal. When he reloaded, she fired more shots at him until she ran out of bullets. Maddie saw a magnet from a crane which contained various metals, pipes, and steel beams. She got in the crane and positioned the magnet. Sgt. Franklin fired more shots at Dawn. She felt the ricochet of each bullet. The vibration from the metal began to hurt her hands and she nearly lost control of the shield. As Sgt. Franklin got closer to Dawn, Maddie dropped the metals from the magnet. It toppled on top of him, burying him underneath. Dawn saw Maddie in the crane and smiled at her. Maddie got out and the two left the area. Sgt. Franklin remained underneath, barely moving.

Dawn and Maddie walked up the steps which led to the office. When they made it to the door, Dawn kicked it open.

"Barney!" Dawn yelled, "Where the hell are you?"

Barney was not there. She knocked over a few chairs and a cabinet and then looked out the window and saw the other side of the junkyard. She spotted a blueprint on the desk. According to the blueprint, Barney was preparing to turn the junkyard into training center for new recruits. As they were about to leave the office, Lt. Malcolm burst through the door and tackled Dawn to the ground. Maddie tried to kick him off using her boot knife, but Lt. Malcom grabbed her leg. He got off of Dawn, picked Maddie up, and threw her through the wall. She tumbled down a small hill. Dawn got up and threw punches at him. They barely fazed him. When she tried another punch, Lt. Malcom grabbed her arm and attempted to break it. She was able to kick him on the side of the head a few times until he let go. Lt. Malcom was able to grab her by the throat with both hands and lift her up.

"I'm gonna enjoy choking you out," He said.

Dawn was able to knee him right under the chin. He let go of her and spit out a tooth. Then, he took out a metal night stick and began swinging it at her. Dawn stood by the large hole in the wall. Lt. Malcom charged her and swung the stick. She moved out of the way and he crashed through, knocking a large piece of the thin wall out. Dawn delivered a side kick to his chest that sent him rolling down the hill. She looked around for Maddie, hoping to see her, but she vanished.


	20. A Savior Among the Rebels

**Chapter 20: A Savior Among the Rebels, Vigilantes, and Psychos**

There was a large scaffolding in the center of the area below. Lt. Malcom laid at the bottom of the hill, motionless. She ran down the hill and passed Lt. Malcolm. The scaffolding was 50 ft. high, about 30 ft. long and 10 ft. wide. Barney was at the top staring at her. He was wearing a black helmet with a clear face shield and a bulletproof vest over his uniform.

"Congratulations Dawn Crenshaw, you made it!" He said, "You managed to fight your way out of Ashgate and fight your way back here. We have important business to discuss."

Not this again, Dawn thought to herself.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dawn said, "You hurt innocent people all for an experiment? We get it. I get it. You are nothing but crazed lunatic."

"I know you saw my experiment. Hell, you lived it! You survived it! And now, I want you to be a part of my invincible army that will do what the Combine could not do. Keep control of this earth. It will all be ours, for me and you."

Dawn stared at him, with and angry look.

"Do you see what's happened?" Barney continued, "You passed the test! You've won!"

Barney had an evil grin on his face.

"People are not to be enslaved," Dawn said, "We need to restart civilization again. We need to rebuild. Mistakes were made and we have learned from them."

"What the hell are talking about?" Barney said, "Every single person on the planet is not worth saving. If we restart civilization and go back to the way things were, they will destroy it again. Civilization is corrupt. It's diseased."

"I'm sure as hell not gonna let you control this planet. As I did before, I'm going to save them from people like you."

"So that's it, huh? You're pissing it all away for these scoundrels. For what? People are thugs."

"You're worse than any of them."

"What are trying to be? A savior among the rebels, vigilantes, and psychos?"

"Right."

Barney looked up at the sky and shook his head.

"I guess it has come to this," he said, "It's time we finish this."

He pulled out an assault rifle and began shooting at her. She ran as fast as she could until she was under the scaffolding. She took out her pistol and prepared to shoot back. She could hear Barney moving around above. Dawn saw a ladder and climbed towards the top. Despite Barney waiting above and ready to kill, all Dawn could think about was Maddie. She knew she was still around somewhere, at least that's what she told herself to motivate her. When she reached the top, Barney had his back turned. He was looking down, aiming his assault rifle at the ground. She climbed up and shot Barney. He fell to the ground and crawled behind a metal box. The body armor he had saved him. She aimed her gun and walked towards him. Then, he threw a smoke bomb. Dawn tried to fan the smoke away and could not see. Barney used the opportunity to escape. He ran to the other end and grabbed a metal riot shield. When the smoke cleared, she saw him. Barney shot at her, but Dawn dived to the ground and crawled behind a wooden box. He continued to shoot at her as the box began to break. Dawn fired back at him, but the bullets hit the metal shield. They exchanged shots. Barney's bullets broke away the wooden box and Dawn's bullets bounced off the metal shield. Barney tried to fire more shots, but he ran out of bullets. Knowing how quick Dawn would react, Barney threw the gun down and got out his stun baton. Dawn reloaded as he moved closer.

"I got a million volts to put into you!" Barney shouted, "Come on, toss your gun down, and let's fight."

Dawn stood up and aimed the gun at him.

"Ha! I'm bulletproof bitch!" He shouted.

Then, two green dots appeared on her chest. She ran as fast as she could as two snipers shot at her. The only cover available was a railing with a sheet of metal over it. Barney laughed at her.

"Now you're dead," Barney said.

She was still in sight of Barney as he moved towards her. She fired shots at him, causing him to stop.

"You gotta run out sometime," he said.

A sniper fired a shot at the sheet of metal. The loud ping startled her. She was able to peek out through a small gap and see the two snipers. They were on top of a platform near the office. She shot at Barney, once again causing him to stop and allow the bullets to bounce off the shield. She noticed a similar covering a few feet back and made a run for it. The snipers were unable to shoot at her.

"So the big badass Dawn is nothing more than a coward," Barney taunted.

She would have said to him that he is a hypocrite for hiding behind a shield, but she was also hiding as well. She peeked through a gap and saw Maddie run towards the platform. She ran across on top of the office and quietly made it on the platform, behind the snipers. Dawn shot at Barney. She kept count of the bullets and knew she was almost empty. Maddie quietly approached the two snipers and took out both of her knives. She snuck up behind one and placed the knife to his throat. Dawn peaked through the gap and the snipers were no longer there. She stood up and shot her last bullet at Barney. He realized the green dots were gone. They both looked in the direction of the snipers and saw Maddie holding both of their heads in the air. Her laughed could be heard. It sent a chill down Barney and delight through Dawn.

"Both of you are sick," Barney said.

"I don't care what you think," Dawn said, "I love her."

"I know you do. I saw you."

"You asshole."

Dawn ran at him and began punching the shield. The padded gloves she had protected her hands well. Barney pushed her down using the shield and tried to stun her. She held his arm back and turned her head as the electric shock came near her. She swung his arm away and threw a punch to his face and then another one. Barney put the shield back up.

"Put it down and fight," Dawn said.

She kicked the shield, but Barney barely moved back. Dawn knew she was going to have to get rid of the shield. Down below, three City Enforcement members ran toward the scaffold. Maddie appeared behind one of them and took him down. She snapped his neck and quickly ran after the next CE member who was a blonde female. She tackled her to the ground and stabbed her. The last CE member started to climb the ladder. She quickly ran over to him and quickly moved up the ladder on the opposite side. When he saw her right in front of her, he tried to get out his sidearm. As soon as he pointed it at her, she grabbed his arm. He fired some shots. Then, Maddie turned his arm so that the gun was pointing at him. She grabbed his throat and began choking him. She smiled. Maddie took out her dagger and stabbed him in the chest. She let go of him and he fell to the ground. The sound of Dawn and Barney fighting could be heard below. She pin pointed their location and made her way to the top.

Dawn walked back and forth in front of Barney, planning her next strategy. She kicked the shield again and quickly did a spin kick, causing Barney to move the shield away. Dawn quickly took advantage and began throwing punches and kicks to his body and the face shield. Barney was able to use the stun baton. Dawn quickly moved back, barely missing it. Barney once again hid behind the shield. When she came in closer, Barney hit her with the shield, knocking her down. He got on top of her and pressed the shield on her. She did her best to try and escape, but Barney used the stun baton. She grabbed his wrist, keeping the stun baton away. Barney overpowered her and stunned her with the baton. Dawn felt dazed. Maddie suddenly appeared behind Barney and stabbed him with the dagger, but his body armor protected him. He struck her with the stun baton. Maddie quickly recovered and kicked him with her boot knife. Once again, Barney was protected. Dawn rolled on her side, still feeling the effects of the stun baton. Barney ran at Maddie and tried to hit her with the shield, but she jumped over him and kicked him down. He nearly lost control of the shield. He quickly blocked himself with the shield. Maddie grabbed it and used it to hit him in the face. The face shield broke off. She jumped on top of him and began punching him in the face. He was able to push her off. Barney tried to use the stun baton, but Maddie grabbed it, turned his arm around, and incapacitated him with his own weapon. Then, Maddie saw Dawn lying on the ground. She quickly ran over to her and saw that she was nearly unconscious.

"Dawn?" Maddie whispered. "Please, come on. Don't leave me."

Dawn saw Maddie with a facial expression she never saw on her. Maddie put her head on her face.

"I love you Dawn," Maddie said.

Dawn began to get up and Maddie smiled.

"Let's finish that son of a bitch," Dawn said.

The two walked over to Barney who was still lying on the ground. Dawn grabbed his shield and threw it over the railing. They attempted to pick him up, but Barney grabbed Dawn and threw her over the rail. She was able to hang on. Maddie tried to grab him, but he used the stun baton on her. Dawn screamed as Maddie went down. He used it on her again as Dawn tried to climb over.

"I'm resistant Dawn," he said, "You're gonna have to do more to keep me down!"

He tried to use the baton on her, but she grabbed his arm and slammed his head on the rail. There was a cut on his forehead. Dawn made it over the railing and began punching Barney in the face until her arm got tired. Then, she started to kick him. He was able to grab her leg and throw her down. The scaffold began to shake and felt as if it was coming apart. Dawn got up near the railing and noticed a crowbar nearby. Barney grabbed his stun baton and ran towards her. He tried to stun her, but she used the crowbar and hit him directly in the stomach. Then, she hit him in the face, knocking him down. Dawn went over to Maddie who was unconscious. The scaffold was weakening and there was no way down with her. Then, the scaffold collapsed. Dawn held onto Maddie as the scaffold crumbled to the ground. Somehow, Dawn avoided serious injury. She picked Maddie up and carried her away and placed her away from the scaffold. Barney was still lying down. Dawn noticed that part of the scaffold did not collapse all the way and was about to fall right onto Barney. Dawn stood over him. He was still awake but in pain. Dawn took his radio and turned it on.

"Fine Dawn, you win," he said, "This whole damn world will return to its sick corrupt ways. You want those idiotic liberals to run the country. The world. It's all over for us."

"It's not over," Dawn said, "I'm gonna fight on. You put innocent people in Ashgate. I want them out."

"I can't do it if I'm dead."

"That's going to be up to you. I should kill you for what you've done to me, to Maddie, to City 17. You say you want to end corrupt and violence, but you are the instigator. I am against liberals running the country, but you need to understand the world can be a better place if you allow it to be."

"Maddie, I actually remember her. She called me at Black Mesa that day. It was me."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you pointing the gun at Tim. I didn't want you to kill him. So I did. I pulled the trigger."

The rest of the scaffold began to creak. It was close to collapsing right on Barney.

"What you did to Tim is not my concern. You better hope Maddie never finds out. Now whether you live or die is up to you," she said, "It's time you wake up and smell the ashes. Are you going to help or not?"

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll give it a chance."

Dawn dragged Barney away from the scaffold. The rest of it collapsed, leaving a pile of rubble.

"Sorry Dawn," Barney said. "I'm going to change."

"Me and everyone else will be sure of it," Dawn said.

Dawn picked up Maddie and carried her out, leaving Barney lying there. A she walked back toward the hill, Lt. Malcom disappeared. She walked through the office and through the scrapyard. Sgt. Franklin was no longer under the pile of metal. As Dawn was about to exit the scrapyard, the City Enforcement members stood in her way. Lt. Malcolm and Sgt. Franklin stood in front of them. They stared at each other. Lt. Malcolm looked at the sullen expression on her face and noticed Maddie in her arms. He signaled for the CE members to move out of the way. Dawn carried Maddie out of the scrapyard.

She walked down the street with Maddie in her arms. The citizens of City 17 looked at her. She headed towards the hospital which was a half a mile away. Dawn began to worry about Maddie's condition and fell to her knees. She placed her on the ground and began to sob. The citizens gathered around. Dawn hugged her and then, Maddie started to regain consciousness.

"Maddie! I thought I lost you," Dawn said, crying.

Maddie put her hand on Dawn's face.

"I can't be killed that easily," she said.

She helped Maddie up and the two hugged. Some citizens smiled. Dawn helped Maddie walk down the street towards the hospital. The next morning, they were at Maddie's place. They were both sitting on her bed. Maddie did not have her face paint on and was dressed in casual attire. Dawn was dressed in her usual way and was looking at a road map.

"So what's in this new place?" Maddie asked.

"A new life," Dawn replied, "It's still a shithole like everywhere else, but it's time we start fresh."

Maddie put her head on Dawn's shoulder.

"I think we will both like the desert, casinos, and the nightlife," Dawn said.

"What if this place is destroyed like City 17?"

"It's not. There's some destruction, but it's still flourishing."

She closed the road map and they stood up.

"You ready?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I got everything," Maddie said.

They each took their luggage and headed outside. There was a van which had a transparent City Enforcement insignia on it. They got inside. Dawn was in the driver's seat. They drove down the road, passing by the citizens, who were brandishing weapons.

"They'll be able to protect themselves if the City Enforcement tries to overrun this place," Dawn said.

"Barney won't try anything," Maddie replied, "If he does, I'll come back and collect his head."

Dawn smiled at her. They continued to drive down a deserted stretch of highway which contained nothing but dirt. As the miles passed by, City 17 became nothing more than a background image. It eventually faded away as they continued down the road. They passed ghost towns, abandoned stores, and broken down cars. Then, they saw a sign which directed them to the city of New Vegas. A new life was beginning for Dawn and Maddie. They had no idea what this new life would bring to them, but they would welcome it and they would enjoy it together.


End file.
